U.S. government seized $1 million from Russian ransomware gang

The U.S. Department of Justice, in coordination with global law enforcement agencies from countries including Canada, Germany, Ireland, France, and the U.K., seized four servers, nine domains, and approximately $1 million in cryptocurrency linked to a Russian ransomware gang on July 24. This group is believed to be behind two ransomware strains, BlackSuit and Royal, which have targeted critical infrastructure sectors in the U.S. and internationally. The BlackSuit gang alone has demanded over $500 million in ransom, with individual demands reaching as high as $60 million, posing a significant threat to U.S. public safety. Since 2022, the cybercriminal gang has compromised more than 450 victims across various sectors such as healthcare, education, public safety, energy, and government, accumulating over $370 million in ransom payments. The seized cryptocurrency was recovered from a digital currency exchange account that had been frozen since January of the previous year. The investigation highlights ongoing international efforts to disrupt ransomware operations that threaten critical infrastructure