Mocobizscene – The hacking group that is responsible for the disruption of Fulton County’s websites in Georgia has issued a threat to release documents from the state’s court system, including those related to the criminal case involving Donald Trump, unless a ransom is paid.
The hacking group known as LockBit recently shared a message online, written in both English and Russian. In their message, they claimed to have obtained stolen documents that they referred to as having “a lot of interesting things” and potentially impacting Donald Trump’s court cases, which could have implications for the upcoming US election.
According to cybersecurity reporter Christopher Krebs, initially, LockBit set a deadline of Saturday, March 2nd for the payment.
According to LockBit’s restored website, the deadline has been moved up to 8:49 a.m. ET on Thursday, February 29.
The exact amount of money the group is demanding remains uncertain. According to Dan Schiappa, the chief product officer at the cybersecurity firm Arctic Wolf, the hacking group’s demands are typically negotiated privately.
The hacker group, known as LockBitSupp, seems to have resumed its activities after a law enforcement raid on February 20. The raid, led by a hacker using the pseudonym LockBitSupp, resulted in the seizure of 34 servers and the modification of the group’s website to display messages boasting about the operation. Additionally, on the same day, the US Department of Justice revealed an indictment accusing two Russian nationals of participating in the group’s hacking activities.
LockBit made its return on Saturday.
The group recently made a post on a new website, asserting that they possess backup copies of documents obtained from the Fulton County government’s website. Furthermore, they reiterated their ransom demands.
According to the post, the FBI’s swift action was driven by concerns that the release of documents related to Trump’s criminal case could impact the upcoming 2024 presidential election. However, court records reveal that the FBI has been investigating LockBit and collaborating with international law enforcement agencies for several years. The post depicted the relationship between LockBit and the FBI as a dramatic romantic rivalry and made a bold claim that the group would continue hacking government websites in the future.
“I will personally vote for Trump because the situation on the border with Mexico is a complete nightmare. Biden should retire; he’s nothing more than a puppet,” the message expressed.
LockBit works with affiliates to hack companies and government agencies
LockBit’s targets extend beyond the Fulton County government.
According to the Justice Department, as of Wednesday, the hacking group currently has ongoing ransom demands for 11 different companies on its website, in addition to the one for Fulton County. Throughout the years, the group has targeted over 2,000 victims and managed to obtain more than $120 million in ransom funds. Notable targets in recent years include Boeing, the UK’s National Health Service and Royal Mail, and the state-owned Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.
According to law enforcement, the group does not always conduct its own hacks. It uses a service model, in which it creates sophisticated ransomware hacking tools and leases them out to other hackers to use against targets, taking a cut of the ransom.
Other organizations that may be collaborating with LockBit on the Fulton County hack remain unclear. According to Oz Alashe, the CEO and founder of cybersecurity firm CybSafe, LockBit has previously claimed to be “completely apolitical.” However, it is also heavily tied to the Russian cybercrime landscape, as highlighted by Krebs. Due to its extensive network of affiliates, determining LockBit’s motives can be challenging, as explained by Alashe to Business Insider.
Alashe noted that while it may be possible to understand the organization’s financial motives, it is not as clear when it comes to its partners and affiliates.
Alashe explained that the political messages conveyed by LockBit, which took a dig at Biden and expressed support for Trump, should not necessarily be interpreted literally.
“It’s always challenging to determine the intent behind messages like the one released by LockBit on Saturday,” he expressed. “We are unsure if the expression of support for Trump is sincere, a form of posturing to provoke what they perceive as ‘formidable rivals and the FBI,’ or possibly a tactic to gain media attention.”
Authorities appeared to negotiate with hackers earlier
Fulton County experienced a cyberattack on January 27, resulting in the shutdown of its computer systems. As a consequence, certain services have remained unavailable for several weeks. Although the county’s court website is still not fully functional, officials have created a dedicated web page to provide public access to case filings as a temporary alternative to the official court docket.
The charges against Trump and his allies in connection to the attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 federal election in Georgia have garnered national attention. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has accused the former president and over a dozen others of racketeering. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges, while some of his codefendants have already admitted their guilt.
It remains uncertain if LockBit has access to any undisclosed court documents in the Trump case that haven’t already been made public. Earlier this month, George Chidi, an independent journalist based in Atlanta, stated that LockBit had released a selection of files, some of which contained sealed court records from unrelated cases.
The spokesperson for Fulton County court administration declined to provide any comment.
According to Krebs, the countdown timer on LockBit’s website, originally set for February 16, vanished without providing a download link for the hacked files. This removal typically occurs when the victims of extortion pay the ransom or are engaged in negotiations to do so.
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According to Schiappa, the executive of Arctic Wolf, the situation is not out of the ordinary. LockBit could be trying to preserve its reputation among its hacking affiliates following the recent law enforcement raid.
According to Schiappa, LockBit has gained a reputation for being bold and attracting the attention of other groups interested in conducting business without interference. However, the recent law-enforcement action poses a threat to this narrative. In order to salvage their image with affiliates and maintain their operations, LockBit needs to divert attention away from the fact that their image was compromised by law enforcement. The more they can focus attention on other matters, the greater their chances of preserving their reputation.
During a press conference held on February 20, Robb Pitts, the Fulton County commission chair, stated that no ransom had been paid.
During the briefing, Pitts clarified that neither we nor anyone else made any payment on our behalf.
LockBit mentioned in their message on Saturday that their “partner” had been engaged in negotiations regarding the ransom, but unfortunately, these discussions have reached a standstill. Business Insider reached out to Pitts for a comment, but received no response.
County officials informed the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday that they would not be paying a ransom.
“We are prioritizing the safe restoration of services for our citizens and maintaining close coordination with law enforcement,” stated a spokesperson from the county.
The FBI representative chose not to provide any comment.
LockBit’s reputation has taken a severe hit following the recent law-enforcement takedown, according to Schiappa. Despite seemingly recovering, the group is now resorting to grandstanding messages about the FBI, possibly as a means to restore its damaged image.
According to Schiappa, the consequences of this law enforcement action will likely impact LockBit. He believes that the company will face difficulties in establishing new partnerships due to the negative reputation associated with this takedown.
As Willis’ investigation faces a series of hearings in a Fulton County courtroom, a renewed ransom threat adds to the challenges he is already facing.
The judge is currently listening to testimonies from various colleagues and even from Willis herself regarding the alleged inappropriate relationship between the district attorney and a prosecutor she had employed for the Trump case.
If the judge decides to remove Willis from the case, it would be a major setback for the prosecution.
