FBI seizure notice for Radar/Dispossessor ransomware and extortion ring. Image courtesy of FBI
The FBI announced on Monday that it had seized the servers of a ransomware and extortion ring called Radar (aka Dispossessor). At the time of writing, Radar's website still had a message from law enforcement stating, “This website has been seized.” This marks a rare victory for the FBI, which has been fighting alongside law enforcement agencies around the world to contain and curb the growing threat of ransomware.
Federal investigators have seized the group's domains and servers in the United Kingdom and Germany, according to a statement from the FBI's Cleveland, Ohio, field office. Radar/Dispossessor has victimized at least 43 companies since it began operating in August 2023, according to the bureau.
According to the FBI, the Radar/Disposer group, led by a mastermind known as “Brain,” exploits security flaws in victim companies' systems to steal large amounts of data, encrypt it, and scramble the companies' data. The group then holds the data hostage in exchange for a ransom, threatening to release it if the ransom isn't paid, a tactic often used by extortion groups known as “double extortion.”