Inside Trickbot, Russia’s Notorious Ransomware Gang

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February 01, 2022 Inside Trickbot, Russia's Notorious Ransomware Gang By Matt Burgess When the phones and computer networks went down at Ridgeview Medical Center's three hospitals on October 24, 2020, the medical group resorted to a Facebook post to warn its patients about the disruption. One local volunteer-run fire department said ambulances were being diverted to other hospitals; officials reported patients and staff were safe. The downtime at the Minnesota medical facilities was no technical glitch; reports quickly linked the activity to one of Russia's most notorious ransomware gangs.   Thousands of miles away, just two days later members of the Trickbot cybercrime group privately gloated over what easy targets hospitals and health care providers make. "You see, how fast, hospitals and centers reply," Target, a key member of the Russia-linked malware gang, boasted in messages to one of their colleagues. The exchange is included in previously unreported documents, seen by WIRED, that consist of hundreds of messages sent between Trickbot members and detail the inner workings of the notorious hacking group. "Answers from the rest, [take] days. And from the ridge immediately the answer flew in," Target wrote.   As Target typed, members of Trickbot were in the middle of launching a huge wave of ransomware attacks against hospitals across the United States. Their aim: to force hospitals busy responding to the surging Covid-19 pandemic to quickly pay ransoms. The series of attacks prompted urgent warnings from federal agencies, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. "Fuck clinics in the usa this week," Target said as they gave the instruction to start targeting a list of 428 hospitals. "There's gonna be a panic." Read the full story on WIRED   Review: Carv Digital Ski Coach By Jeremy White and Chris Haslam We tested a sensor-packed ski boot insole to see if it really could perfect our parallel turns. Today's job picks Consulting, Technology – EPM Consultant, Manager PwC Apply now Technology Sales Engagement Manager – North East Oracle Apply now Get the latest issue of WIRED   Read about Sir David Attenborough's return to the field, and his mission to save our planet.                                                  Also in this issue... WIRED's list of rising startups and founders Iceland is a training hub for astronauts Who owns the internet's backbone? The best winter gear to hit the slopes   Subscribe for £19 a year Prefer a weekly digest? Subscribe to the WIRED Weekly Unsubscribe  |  View this email in your browser  Queries about this email? Contact datacontroller@condenast.co.uk Condé Nast Publications 1 Hanover Square, London W1S 1JU © The Condé Nast Publications Ltd Our Privacy Policy