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DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware extortionists Darkside

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Re: DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware extortionists Darkside

#51

Post by majormajor »

SavantIdiot wrote: post #31
floatingatoll wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, they’re not elite, they’re just script kiddies with a payout mechanism.

"Script kiddies" got their name because 20 years ago any kid could download some code and create a DDoS attack by running a pre-written script. Ransomware hacks seem a bit more sophisticated, even with today's highly modular malware. I think it is an interesting proposal: a fake attack as shown by the disparity in savvy between the attack and the payment, or a really dumb screw up. EDIT: as "koheripbal" says below, m…

There's been some reporting of basically a new version of that for the modern "as a service" times, like here https://www.zdnet.com/article/darkside-the-ransomware-group-...

> According to FireEye, affiliates are required to pay up to 25% of ransom payments under $500,000, and 10% of any successful extortion attempts over $5 million.

So the ransomware authors might not always be the people collecting the initial payments. Although according to the press release here, it was siezed from the DarkSide group itself? So it's still a bit confusing.

Re: DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware extortionists Darkside

#52

Post by majormajor »

sneak wrote: post #41
staticassertion wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You find it improbable that geopolitical enemies tend to be the ones that attack us? Feels like saying "I find it weird that people I insult disproportionately punch me in the face".

I think you are assigning too much “us vs them” to the ransomware marketplace. With ransomware criminals, “us” is the attacker, and “them” is everyone with a computer who might pay. Political boundaries don’t factor in to it at all. It is by nature an anonymous attack, hence the term “ransom”. It is strange to me that almost all high-profile ransomware attacks that have been publicized in the US are claimed by the FB…

> I think you are assigning too much “us vs them” to the ransomware marketplace.

Attacking things in a foreign jurisdiction is massively appealing from a "what will get me thrown in jail by my own government if things go wrong" perspective. You don't need any political loyalty for that calculation.

Re: DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware extortionists Darkside

#53

Post by lowdest »

staticassertion wrote: post #40
sneak wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It always struck me as improbable that all these high profile (and notoriously hard/impossible to attribute) attacks on “critical infrastructure” or whatever are always instantly and authoritatively pinned (by US authorities) on groups operating in the US’s geopolitical enemies. “Russian hackers” once again, eh?

You find it improbable that geopolitical enemies tend to be the ones that attack us? Feels like saying "I find it weird that people I insult disproportionately punch me in the face".

It's also a very old technique to proxy attacks through countries without extradition treaties.

Re: DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware extortionists Darkside

#54

Post by vmception »

SavantIdiot wrote: post #31
floatingatoll wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, they’re not elite, they’re just script kiddies with a payout mechanism.

"Script kiddies" got their name because 20 years ago any kid could download some code and create a DDoS attack by running a pre-written script. Ransomware hacks seem a bit more sophisticated, even with today's highly modular malware. I think it is an interesting proposal: a fake attack as shown by the disparity in savvy between the attack and the payment, or a really dumb screw up. EDIT: as "koheripbal" says below, m…

> "Script kiddies" got their name because 20 years ago any kid could download some code and create a DDoS attack by running a pre-written script. Ransomware hacks seem a bit more sophisticated, even with today's highly modular malware.

They're downloadable and leased out.

This allows people to focus on choosing targets instead of the entire vertical integration and liability at each step.

Re: DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware extortionists Darkside

#55

Post by alex_young »

Colonial paid $4.4M in BTC around May 6th. Coindesk shows BTC/USD around $58K on May 6th.

FBI recovers $2.3M in BTC today. Current BTC/USD around $34K today.

34 / 58 = .58

4.4 * .58 = 2.552

Looks like they recovered more or less all of it?

[1] https://www.coindesk.com/price/bitcoin

Re: DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware extortionists Darkside

#56

Post by qeternity »

shiftpgdn wrote: post #50
kibwen wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Save face" for whom? It wasn't the US gov who got hacked or paid the ransom, it was the Colonial Pipeline Company.

The US Judicial system which tries to flex its "unlimited" reach.

Do we have reason to believe they don’t have that capability? There are very few who have escaped the long arm of the DOJ.

Re: DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware extortionists Darkside

#57

Post by koheripbal »

2OEH8eoCRo0 wrote: post #38
shiado wrote: post #24

This story makes absolutely no sense at all. The errors present by these hackers are so comical it's simply unbelievable. I'm supposed to believe some elite Russian hacking group keeps their crypto wallets running on a US host where the FBI just logs right in and snatches the private key? I'm starting to entertain the conspiracies that the future of commodities price manipulation is fake ransomware attacks. There nee…

Who says they're elite? I know that ironically many hackers have poor security practices themselves.

While I suspect the DOJ is leaving out critical information, it is true that these gangs are not nearly as elite as some people imagine.

They just happen to be in an untouchable legal jurisdiction.

Re: DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware extortionists Darkside

#58

Post by ls612 »

alex_young wrote: post #55

Colonial paid $4.4M in BTC around May 6th. Coindesk shows BTC/USD around $58K on May 6th. FBI recovers $2.3M in BTC today. Current BTC/USD around $34K today. 34 / 58 = .58 4.4 * .58 = 2.552 Looks like they recovered more or less all of it? [1] https://www.coindesk.com/price/bitcoin

WSJ reported they recovered 64 Bitcoin out of 75 paid in ransom by the company, so it was most of it.

Re: DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware extortionists Darkside

#60

Post by koheripbal »

alex_young wrote: post #55

Colonial paid $4.4M in BTC around May 6th. Coindesk shows BTC/USD around $58K on May 6th. FBI recovers $2.3M in BTC today. Current BTC/USD around $34K today. 34 / 58 = .58 4.4 * .58 = 2.552 Looks like they recovered more or less all of it? [1] https://www.coindesk.com/price/bitcoin

Colonial paid 75 BTC, and they recovered 63.7 BTC.
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