Police Tricked a Ransomware Gang Into Handing Over its Decryption Keys

An Anonymous Coward writes:

Sting against Deadbolt ransomware groups provides victims with a way to get encrypted files back without paying up:

Working alongside cybersecurity company Responders.NU, the Dutch National Police obtained 150 decryption keys from ransomware group Deadbolt.

With the decryption keys now in the hands of law enforcement, some victims of Deadbolt ransomware attacks can retrieve encrypted files and servers without the need to pay cyber-criminal extortionists.

[...] Police tricked Deadbolt by making Bitcoin payments for decryption keys, receiving the keys, then withdrawing the ransom payments - leaving the cyber criminals without their payments after they had provided the police and cybersecurity researchers with the decryption keys to aid victims of attacks.

Describing it as a "nasty blow" for cyber criminals, Dutch Police said the operation demonstrates to cyber criminals that they're "in the crosshairs of international law enforcement authorities" and "attempts to move their criminal earnings are not without risks".

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