Third phase of the global operation against LockBit

LockBit is a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) malware that has been widely used by criminal organisations to steal and encrypt the data of 2,500 companies and individuals in more than 120 countries. According to international security agencies, LockBit was the most widely used ransomware in the world between 2022 and 2023, accounting for 44% of ransomware incidents.

Europol has carried out a joint operation to arrest 4 new suspects in 12 countries, in addition to 15 people sanctioned in the UK, 6 in the US and 2 in Australia, as well as the seizure of servers in France and Spain. This is the result of the third phase of Operation Cronos.

Among the activities carried out by the different law enforcement agencies in the countries included in the operation, the actions of the Guardia Civil stand out, as they managed to identify and arrest the administrator of the Internet service provider used by this criminal group.