LockBit Hackers Behind ION Breach Also Hit Royal Mail, Hospital
The gang has conducted a spate of extortion events, demanding cryptocurrency to unlock files.
A person types at a backlit keyboard arranged in Danbury, U.K., on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021.
Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/BloombergThe hacking group behind a cyberattack against the software firm ION Trading UK has recently conducted a series of breaches throughout the world, with its victims including the UK’s postal service and local government agencies in the US.
The gang, known as LockBit, is a prolific ransomware operator, according to cybersecurity experts, specializing in using malicious software to encrypt files on a victims’ computer, then demanding payment to unlock the files. Earlier this week, it struck an ION system that paralyzed derivatives trading across markets for everything from commodities to bonds, forcing a number of European and US banks and brokers to process some trades manually.