Security News > 2021 > November > Europol arrests three suspects possibly involved in major ransomware activities
Europol announced new arrests during its "Operation GoldDust." The suspects may have been heavily involved in the Sodinokibi/REvil and GandCrab ransomware activities.
Europol announced today three arrests of individuals who may be involved in ransomware activities across the world.
These arrests are connected to previous law enforcement operations from February 2021, bringing the number of arrests related to the Sodinokibi/REvil and GandCrab ransomwares to seven.
The US Department of Justice decided last June to elevate investigations on ransomware attacks to the same level of priority as terrorism in the US. In 2020, Chainalysis, a company specialized in analyzing cryptocurrencies transfers, reported that the total amount paid by ransomware victims increased by 311% this year to reach nearly $350 million worth of cryptocurrency.
Last month, 12 individuals suspected of being involved in ransomware activities in relation to LockerGoga, MegaCortex and Dharma ransomware were arrested in a joint effort from eight countries.
The recent arrests are causing huge ripples in the world of ransomware threat actors, who thought they would avoid being caught by using cryptocurrencies and darknet infrastructures.