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LockBit Ransomware Group Leader Exposed
“By exposing one of the leaders of LockBit, we are sending a clear message to these callous criminals. You cannot hide. You will face justice,” security minister Tom Tugendhat said.
The leader of the infamous ransomware group, LockBit, has been revealed after authorities infiltrated and took down the gang’s infrastructure earlier this year.
Dmitry Yuryevich Khorochev, a Russian national, has been identified as the ringleader of the gang, otherwise known as LockBitSupp.
Until now, the LockBit leader remained anonymous, even offering a $10m reward if someone could uncover his identity.
Now, the once anonymous threat actor terrorising the cyber world has been sanctioned by the UK, US, and Australia, has received several travel bans, and has had his assets frozen.
“These sanctions are hugely significant and show that there is no hiding place for cyber criminals like Dmitry Khoroshev, who wreak havoc across the globe. He was certain he could remain anonymous, but he was wrong,” National Crime Agency (NCA) director general Graeme Biggar said in a release.
The US has also brought an indictment against Khorochev, and are offering a $10m reward to anyone who can provide information leading to his arrest.
According to US attorney Philip R. Sellinger, the Lockbit ringleader personally took home $100m from the gang’s victims.
The actions targeting Khoroshev form part of an extensive and ongoing investigation into the LockBit group by the NCA, FBI, and international partners who form the Operation Cronos taskforce.
The true impact of LockBit’s criminality was previously unknown, but data obtained from their systems showed that between June 2022 and February 2024, more than 7,000 attacks were built using their services.
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“Cyber criminals think they are untouchable, hiding behind anonymous accounts as they try to extort money from their victims,” security minister Tom Tugendhat said.
“By exposing one of the leaders of LockBit, we are sending a clear message to these callous criminals. You cannot hide. You will face justice.”
