* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Good Deed Entertainment Acquires Worldwide Rights To Liza Mandelup’s Documentary ‘Caterpillar’ – Deadline

    Good Deed Entertainment Lands Global Rights to Liza Mandelup’s Captivating Documentary ‘Caterpillar

    Danielle Fishel Explains Why Being on “DWTS” Makes Her Feel ‘Like It’s 1994 Again’ Filming “Boy Meets World” (Exclusive) – Yahoo

    Danielle Fishel Explains Why Being on “DWTS” Makes Her Feel ‘Like It’s 1994 Again’ Filming “Boy Meets World” (Exclusive) – Yahoo

    Jussie Smollett Claims He Was ‘Disrespected’ on the ‘Special Forces’ Season Premiere – Yahoo

    Jussie Smollett Opens Up About Feeling ‘Disrespected’ During the ‘Special Forces’ Season Premiere

    TicketSmarter Fall Entertainment Guide – Eastern Illinois University Athletics

    TicketSmarter Fall Entertainment Guide – Eastern Illinois University Athletics

    Cardi B Adds More Dates to Little Miss Drama Tour: ‘Y’all Making Me Work’ – Yahoo

    Cardi B Extends Little Miss Drama Tour: “Y’all Making Me Work

    ‘Today’: Sheinelle Jones Thanks Katie Couric for Support After Husband’s Death – CBS 19 News

    Sheinelle Jones Expresses Heartfelt Thanks to Katie Couric for Support After Husband’s Passing

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Four Strategic Signals Technology Leaders Are Tuning In To – SPONSOR CONTENT FROM ARM – Harvard Business Review

    Four Essential Strategic Signals Every Technology Leader Should Watch

    Virginia Tech hosts annual New Music + Technology Festival this week – Cardinal News

    Virginia Tech Kicks Off Exciting Annual New Music and Technology Festival This Week

    Why I gave the world wide web away for free | Tim Berners-Lee – The Guardian

    Why I Decided to Make the World Wide Web Free for Everyone | Tim Berners-Lee

    From shale to steam: Fossil fuel technology boosts clean geothermal energy – Washington Examiner

    From Shale to Steam: How Fossil Fuel Technology is Powering a Clean Geothermal Energy Revolution

    How Sustainable Technology is Shaping a Greener Future – Technology Magazine

    How Sustainable Technology is Driving the Revolution Toward a Greener Future

    Aurora police hope to add facial recognition technology to crime-fighting tools – CBS News

    Aurora Police Aim to Boost Crime-Fighting with New Facial Recognition Technology

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Good Deed Entertainment Acquires Worldwide Rights To Liza Mandelup’s Documentary ‘Caterpillar’ – Deadline

    Good Deed Entertainment Lands Global Rights to Liza Mandelup’s Captivating Documentary ‘Caterpillar

    Danielle Fishel Explains Why Being on “DWTS” Makes Her Feel ‘Like It’s 1994 Again’ Filming “Boy Meets World” (Exclusive) – Yahoo

    Danielle Fishel Explains Why Being on “DWTS” Makes Her Feel ‘Like It’s 1994 Again’ Filming “Boy Meets World” (Exclusive) – Yahoo

    Jussie Smollett Claims He Was ‘Disrespected’ on the ‘Special Forces’ Season Premiere – Yahoo

    Jussie Smollett Opens Up About Feeling ‘Disrespected’ During the ‘Special Forces’ Season Premiere

    TicketSmarter Fall Entertainment Guide – Eastern Illinois University Athletics

    TicketSmarter Fall Entertainment Guide – Eastern Illinois University Athletics

    Cardi B Adds More Dates to Little Miss Drama Tour: ‘Y’all Making Me Work’ – Yahoo

    Cardi B Extends Little Miss Drama Tour: “Y’all Making Me Work

    ‘Today’: Sheinelle Jones Thanks Katie Couric for Support After Husband’s Death – CBS 19 News

    Sheinelle Jones Expresses Heartfelt Thanks to Katie Couric for Support After Husband’s Passing

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Four Strategic Signals Technology Leaders Are Tuning In To – SPONSOR CONTENT FROM ARM – Harvard Business Review

    Four Essential Strategic Signals Every Technology Leader Should Watch

    Virginia Tech hosts annual New Music + Technology Festival this week – Cardinal News

    Virginia Tech Kicks Off Exciting Annual New Music and Technology Festival This Week

    Why I gave the world wide web away for free | Tim Berners-Lee – The Guardian

    Why I Decided to Make the World Wide Web Free for Everyone | Tim Berners-Lee

    From shale to steam: Fossil fuel technology boosts clean geothermal energy – Washington Examiner

    From Shale to Steam: How Fossil Fuel Technology is Powering a Clean Geothermal Energy Revolution

    How Sustainable Technology is Shaping a Greener Future – Technology Magazine

    How Sustainable Technology is Driving the Revolution Toward a Greener Future

    Aurora police hope to add facial recognition technology to crime-fighting tools – CBS News

    Aurora Police Aim to Boost Crime-Fighting with New Facial Recognition Technology

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Technology

ALPHV/BlackCat gang vanishes amid ransomware ‘turmoil’

March 6, 2024
in Technology
ALPHV/BlackCat gang vanishes amid ransomware ‘turmoil’
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Mystery surrounds the apparent disappearance of the ALPHV/BlackCat cyber crime gang amid reports that a prominent US victim paid a $22m ransom


Alex Scroxton

By

Alex Scroxton,
Security Editor

Published: 05 Mar 2024 19:03

In what is turning into a tumultuous period for the cyber criminal underground, the ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware crew has turned off its server infrastructure in an apparently self-imposed takedown, amid allegations that the group’s ringleaders had stolen millions of dollars from an affiliate that recently attacked an American healthcare services provider.

The takedown at first appeared to be the result of a coordinated takedown by law enforcement agencies, but according to Reuters, the National Crime Agency (NCA) – which led on Operation Cronos, the recent takedown of the LockBit operation – said that no law enforcement action has occurred.

The waters were muddied still further by the emergence of a Sunday 3 March statement posted in broken English to one of the major underground forums by a supposed affiliate of ALPHV/BlackCat.

The poster claimed they had been working with ALPHV/BlackCat for a long time, and on 1 March received a $22m ransom payment from Minneapolis, Minnesota-based United Health Group, the parent of the ransomware-stricken Change Healthcare.

However, they said, after receiving the payment, the ALPHV/BlackCat team “decide to suspend our account and keep lying and delaying when we contacted ALPHV admin on Tox”.

They added: “He kept saying they are waiting ro [sic] chief admin and the coder until today they emptied the wallet and took all the money…. Be careful everyone and stop deal with ALPHV.”

“It’s important to emphasise that this is all speculation,” said Yossi Rachman, Semperis director of security research. “I do agree that it looks a little odd, because ALPHV might lose business over it. Then again, it’s not a bricks-and-mortar business, so if they did decide to steal the money and run, they can just as easily set up a new business under a different name.

“Overall, no one outside of in the inner circles of ALPHV, their affiliate and Change Healthcare are privy to this information about who paid or did not pay. And you know what they say in the cyber security industry about there being no honour among thieves. So, nothing surprises me.”

WithSecure senior threat intelligence analyst Stephen Robinson echoed Rachman’s sentiment on taking anything at face value. “Any statement from cyber criminals is inherently untrustworthy, ALPHV appears to have gone offline, but we don’t know why,” he said.

“The claim regarding the affiliate payment is kind of interesting, but similarly untrustworthy. For a RaaS operation to work, the affiliates and the core group must trust each other, so ‘stealing’ or withholding payment from an affiliate would be very unusual. However, cyber criminals often make efforts to stay below the radar of law enforcement, and to avoid committing attacks which will have real-world impacts leading to focused attention from international law enforcement.

“The Change Healthcare compromise has had significant, long-lasting, real-world impact in the US. If ALPHV have refused to pay the affiliate who performed the attack and banned them from the operation, it could be because they think it was too high profile an attack, or it broke the rules of the operation, whatever they are,” he said. “It is possible that ALPHV are about to rebrand under a different name to avoid law enforcement attention, but that is just speculation.”

This would speak to ALPHV/BlackCat’s roots – similarly speculative for the most part – in the DarkSide operation which attacked Colonial Pipeline in 2021.

This attack, which cased real-world impact and disruption to fuel supplies across a swathe of the US, brought the issue of ransomware to global mainstream attention and led to big changes in Western policy.

It also resulted in a coordinated law enforcement operation against the gang, which recovered a significant proportion of the ransom Colonial Pipeline paid.

No relief for victims

The gang’s alleged seizure of the payment supposedly made by Change Healthcare – whose parent has not confirmed whether or not it has paid any ransom – will come as little relief to an organisation that has faced or still faces an agonising decision.

“While it may be within the risk appetite for an entertainment company like MGM to refuse a ransom demand despite downtime costing the organisation revenue, the decision not to pay a ransom likely will not put any lives at risk,” said Jon Miller, co-founder and CEO of anti-ransomware platform Halcyon.

“But what about a healthcare provider like Change Health who urgently requires access to systems because any delays could pose a risk to human life? In these cases, the decision on whether to pay a ransom demand is significantly more complicated.”

Speaking to the renewed debate on whether or not the payment of ransomware demands should be made illegal, Miller acknowledged both sides of the issue, saying that paying up swiftly could on occasion be the quickest way to restore operations, though at some risk, but that to do so clearly encouraged more attacks down the line.

For healthcare organisations, whether in the US’ private system or the NHS in the UK, the choice is even starker.

“Ransomware attacks against the healthcare system are increasingly impacting organisation’s ability to care for patients, and some studies have already found a direct link between ransomware attacks and increased patient mortality,” said Miller.

“One study found that 68% said ransomware attacks resulted in a disruption to patient care, and 43% said data exfiltration during the attack also negatively impacted patient care, with 46% noting increased mortality rates, and 38% noting more complications in medical procedures following an attack.”

However, Miller added, the debate over ransom payment bans does not really address the root cause of the issue – the vulnerability of the victim’s IT systems.

“If we can prevent these attacks from being successful, the ransom payment debate becomes moot,” he said.

Read more on Hackers and cybercrime prevention


Alphv/BlackCat leak site goes down in possible exit scam

AlexanderCulafi

By: Alexander Culafi


Inside an Alphv/BlackCat ransomware attack

RobWright

By: Rob Wright


Infosec pros weigh in on proposed ransomware payment bans

ArielleWaldman

By: Arielle Waldman


LockBit, Alphv/BlackCat highlight February ransomware activity

AlexanderCulafi

By: Alexander Culafi

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Computer Weekly – https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366572393/ALPHV-BlackCat-gang-vanishes-amid-ransomware-turmoil

Tags: AlphVBlackCattechnology
Previous Post

Canada Interest Rate Decision Preview: BoC set to stand pat ahead of possible policy pivot in summer

Next Post

Rapid7 hits out over botched vulnerability disclosure

Elon Musk hit by exodus of senior staff over burnout and politics – Financial Times

Elon Musk Confronts Surge of Senior Staff Exits Amid Burnout and Office Politics

September 30, 2025
Common juniper, the oldest nonclonal woody species across the tundra biome and the European continent – ESA Journals

Unveiling the Common Juniper: The Ancient Woody Survivor Spanning Tundra and Europe

September 30, 2025
What Forensic Science Is and How to Become a Forensic Scientist | Education | U.S. News – U.S. News & World Report

Unlocking the Secrets of Forensic Science: Your Guide to Becoming a Forensic Scientist

September 30, 2025
BLM celebrates International Archaeology Day at the Campbell Creek Science Center – Bureau of Land Management (.gov)

BLM Celebrates International Archaeology Day with Exciting Events at Campbell Creek Science Center

September 30, 2025
Sagittarius Daily Horoscope Today (Nov 22- Dec 21), September 30, 2025: Lifestyle will get refined! – India Today

Sagittarius Daily Horoscope Today (Nov 22- Dec 21), September 30, 2025: Lifestyle will get refined! – India Today

September 30, 2025
Four Strategic Signals Technology Leaders Are Tuning In To – SPONSOR CONTENT FROM ARM – Harvard Business Review

Four Essential Strategic Signals Every Technology Leader Should Watch

September 30, 2025

Latest sportsbook receives Missouri license through partnership with Royals – KCTV

September 30, 2025
World-Building With Daisies – 032C

Bringing Color to Life: The Art of Building Vibrant Worlds with Daisies

September 29, 2025
Milei Vowed to Fix Argentina’s Economy. Then Came a New Crisis. – The New York Times

Milei Vowed to Fix Argentina’s Economy. Then Came a New Crisis. – The New York Times

September 29, 2025
Good Deed Entertainment Acquires Worldwide Rights To Liza Mandelup’s Documentary ‘Caterpillar’ – Deadline

Good Deed Entertainment Lands Global Rights to Liza Mandelup’s Captivating Documentary ‘Caterpillar

September 29, 2025

Categories

Archives

September 2025
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930  
« Aug    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (843)
  • Economy (864)
  • Entertainment (21,738)
  • General (17,321)
  • Health (9,907)
  • Lifestyle (877)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (866)
  • Politics (875)
  • Science (16,074)
  • Sports (21,364)
  • Technology (15,847)
  • World (846)

Recent News

Elon Musk hit by exodus of senior staff over burnout and politics – Financial Times

Elon Musk Confronts Surge of Senior Staff Exits Amid Burnout and Office Politics

September 30, 2025
Common juniper, the oldest nonclonal woody species across the tundra biome and the European continent – ESA Journals

Unveiling the Common Juniper: The Ancient Woody Survivor Spanning Tundra and Europe

September 30, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version