Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

US Shuts Down Ransomware Group "Hive" That Extorted Over $100 Million

US Shuts Down Ransomware Group "Hive" That Extorted Over $100 Million

US Attorney General Merrick Garland said that US authorities working with German and Netherlands law enforcement took over Hive's website and servers after having infiltrated it for nearly seven months
The US Justice Department announced Thursday it had shut down the Hive ransomware operation, which had extorted more than $100 million from more than 1,500 victims worldwide.

US Attorney General Merrick Garland said that US authorities working with German and Netherlands law enforcement took over Hive's website and servers after having infiltrated it for nearly seven months.

The infiltration helped hundreds of companies avoid paying $130 million in extortion demands made after Hive hacked and froze their data systems.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco called the operation to infiltrate Hive a "21st-century cyber stakeout."

"We hacked the hackers," she said.

Hive operated as a ransomware service, meaning anyone could hire its software and other services to help hack into and lock down a target's IT systems, and to process payments. Hive and the client would share the profits from the extortion.

Since it first emerged in 2021 more than 1,500 companies and institutions have been hacked -- their IT systems or databases encrypted by Hive and backup deleted or rendered inaccessible.

The hackers would demand large payments, often in cryptocurrency, in exchange for freeing up the systems.

If victims refused to pay, Hive would publish confidential internal files and documents on the internet.

Victims included India's Tata Power, German retail giant Media Markt, Costa Rica's public health service, Indonesia's state gas company and multiple US hospital groups, according to cybersecurity advisors.

Early on Thursday, Hive's website on the dark web was frozen and a screen alternating in English and Russian said it had been taken over by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.

US officials said that by breaking into Hive's dark-web site and collecting information, Justice authorities were able to obtain the digital keys necessary to unlock a victim's frozen data so that they were not forced to pay Hive.

This helped prevent a Texas school district, and Louisiana hospital, and an unnamed foods services company from having to pay millions of dollars in ransom after being hit by a Hive attack, for example, they said.

"For months, we helped victims defeat their attackers and deprived the Hive network of extortion profits," said Monaco.

US authorities would not say who is behind Hive or whether any arrests would accompany the shutdown of the operation, saying the investigation is ongoing.

The investigation involved the US FBI, the German Reutlingen Police Headquarters, the German Federal Criminal Police, the Netherlands National High Tech Crime Unit, and Europol.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×