The hacking group LockBit, which was responsible for a ransomware attack on Fulton County, Georgia in January, has threatened to release stolen court documents, including some related to the criminal case against Donald Trump.
LockBit initially set a deadline of February 29th to pay a ransom, but has targeted government agencies for years through ransomware-as-a-service model.
“Even if one could discern the organization’s motives outside of the obvious financial one, the same cannot be said for all its partners and affiliates,” CybSafe CEO Oz Alashe said.
While LockBit claims to be apolitical, its recent messages taunt the FBI and express support for Trump.
“It’s always difficult to discern the meaning of messages like the one published by LockBit on Saturday,” Alashe said.
“Whether the declaration of support for Trump is genuine, posturing aimed at taunting what they see as ‘strong competitors and the FBI,’ or even an attempt to grab headlines, we don’t know,” he said.
“LockBit built its image on being loud and garnering the attention of other groups that wanted assurance that they could conduct business with them unhindered,” Arctic Wolf executive Dan Schiappa said. “The law-enforcement action presents a threat to that narrative. The more attention that the group can focus on anything other than the fact that their image was compromised by law enforcement, the more likely that they will be able to salvage their image with affiliates and continue operations.”
Authorities say no ransom was paid in this case, and Fulton County will not pay ransoms, but negotiations may have occurred.
“We did not pay, nor did anyone pay on our behalf,” Fulton County commission chair Robb Pitts said.
“Our focus remains on safely restoring services for our citizens and we continue to work in close coordination with law enforcement,” a county spokesperson stated.
“We expect that LockBit will suffer consequences from this law-enforcement action,” Schiappa said. “Their attempts to establish new partnerships will be challenging with the cloud of this takedown looming over them and tarnishing their reputation.”
The situation has drawn attention due to the high-profile Trump case, while LockBit aims to repair its reputation after a recent law enforcement disruption.
