A global police operation involving agencies from Europe, Japan, the U.S., and the U.K. has successfully seized the dark web leak site of the 8Base ransomware gang. The takedown message displayed on the site was confirmed as legitimate by Lucy Sneddon, a spokesperson for the U.K.’s National Crime Agency. While the U.K. played a supportive role, other involved agencies have not yet commented. Security researchers first noticed the seizure notice earlier this week.
This operation is part of a larger effort targeting ransomware gangs. In a related development, authorities have arrested four suspected Phobos ransomware hackers in Phuket, Thailand. These individuals are accused of conducting cyberattacks on over 1,000 victims worldwide and extorting $16,000,000 worth of Bitcoin. The operation, codenamed "Phobos Aetor," involved raids across multiple locations.