Ransomware crew Hunters International shuts down, hands out keys to victims Ransomware gang Hunters International has shut up shop and offered decryption keys to all victims as a parting favor. Announcing the news on Thursday morning, the gang deleted all victim data from its dark web leak site and issued a statement confirming its closure. "We, at Hunters International, wish to inform you of a …
Could be: "This means that the fight against ransomware is moving from the virtual to the real plane, and this time our own states are against us. The chances of survival, in such a situation, tend to be zero."
Maybe fear of getting caught and imprisoned is the reason for closing shop. And providing decryption keys to customers, sorry, VICTIMS, is by way of hoping they will be, if not actually forgiven, then 'let off' with the equivalent of a stern telling off?
In the 80's, some offshoot of an offshoot of a branch of a fruit of Yasser Arafat's organization abducted four Soviet diplomats in Lebanon. It was apparently completely uncoordinated with the mothership, and a feat of sheer strategical stupidity. The Soviets were quite outraged, as they were technically pals with these organizations, and Arafat was apparently also quite embarrassed.
Things went downhill really fast, and one of the hostages got unalived.
The Soviets then sent a team on site, did some research, and within a week the head of one of the abductors (or someone very closely affiliated) got delivered to their (the abductors') hideout in a box.
A meeting took place shortly after, between some sheikh who had in theory nothing to do with the whole affair, and someone from the Soviet embassy. It apparently went along the lines of two hours of sweet chitchat, talking about the weather and family (according to the diplomat, who was interviewed in the documentary that got me this sweet info decades ago), then the discussion tangentially brushed the ongoing situation.
Mentions from the diplomat were made, between two sips of sweet tea, about what a world we live in, with innocent, peaceful Soviet diplomats being abducted and unalived.
The sheikh agreed that this was a very sad thing given everyone's sincere aspirations for peace and prosperity, and shared his ardent, sincere hopes and wishes that the situation untangles quickly, and his firm belief that G. is great and that with His will the hostages will eventually be released - shortly, and unharmed.
In an amazing coincidence, the hostages were released - shortly, and unharmed.
I wonder if any such similar conversation between people completely foreign to the matter at hand took place in this here case. Probably not. Although I wish it had.
Great! One down, lots more to go. How do we spread the word?
Step one would seemingly be to make paying such an organization illegal, or at minimum extremely expensive (like a fine of 10x the ransom, with prison time for anyone who knew a ransom was paid but doesn't notify the govt).
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