Europol, in a coordinated effort with global law enforcement agencies, has expanded its Operation Cronos to apprehend four individuals alleged to have connections with the notorious LockBit ransomware group. A recent press release highlighted the successful arrests as well as the seizure of servers and financial assets linked to this group, which is believed to have ties to Russian intelligence services.
Among the arrests, authorities captured a key suspect identified as a ransomware developer who was on vacation in France. Following a tip-off, French National Gendarmerie acted quickly to apprehend him. The other three suspects are reportedly involved in activities such as malware distribution, money laundering, and data theft.
The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation has indicated that further arrests are expected in the near future, given that a list of additional individuals associated with the group is already under review. This initiative aims to disrupt their operational capabilities and infrastructure.
In a separate but related matter, threat intelligence provider Silent Push has raised concerns about hackers utilizing malware disguised as deepfake tools. Security researchers from the Virginia-based company disclosed that these attacks form part of a broader campaign attributed to the Russia-based group FIN7, which is infamous for its ransomware-as-a-service offerings.
The campaign seeks to lure victims through social media advertisements that promote AI tools allegedly enabling users to transform ordinary photos into deepfake images. This approach exploits advancements in artificial intelligence to subject unsuspecting individuals to deepfake-based manipulation and potential harassment.
Such tools are predominantly advertised on adult websites, where promotional video snippets are made available. Users who engage with these pop-up ads find themselves redirected to sites offering free trials of the deepfake tools, which are, in fact, channels for downloading malicious software payloads.
Ad
