Security News > 2023 > December > FBI: ALPHV ransomware raked in $300 million from over 1,000 victims
The ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware gang has made over $300 million in ransom payments from more than 1,000 victims worldwide as of September 2023, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
"ALPHV Blackcat affiliates have extensive networks and experience with ransomware and data extortion operations," the FBI says.
"According to the FBI, as of September 2023, ALPHV Blackcat affiliates have compromised over 1000 entities-nearly 75 percent of which are in the United States and approximately 250 outside the United States-, demanded over $500 million, and received nearly $300 million in ransom payments."
The FBI previously linked this ransomware gang to over 60 breaches impacting organizations worldwide in the first four months of activity, from November 2021 through March 2022.
Today, the Department of Justice confirmed our reporting, saying that the FBI breached the ALPHV ransomware operation's servers, successfully monitoring their activities and obtaining decryption keys.
The FBI silently monitored the ALPHV's operations for months while collecting decryption keys, which allowed them to help over 500 victims worldwide recover their files for free, saving around $68 million in ransom demands.