DOJ Takes Down International Crypto-Ransomware Network Hive, Recovers About $130 Million in Potential Ransom Losses

The U.S. Department of Justice issued a statement saying it had taken down Hive, an international encrypted ransomware network that targeted hospitals, schools and banks in more than 80 countries in an attempt to extort hundreds of millions of dollars from victims in the U.S. and around the world. The U.S. Department of Justice said that since June 2021, the group has targeted more than 1,500 victims worldwide and received more than $100 million in cryptocurrency ransoms, and the DOJ FBI's infiltration of the Hive network began with In July 2022, it was able to provide more than 1300 decryption keys to help victims recover their data and systems, including critical infrastructure, so that victims did not have to pay the $130 million ransom. The operation, which was coordinated with German and Dutch law enforcement, seized control of servers and websites used by Hive.