The LockBit ransomware group has been tied to another prolific cyberattack targeting the UK’s postal service. The attack occurred in January of this year and severely disrupted Royal Mail’s international deliveries. During the attack, printers located at a distribution site in Belfast begun to print ransom notes stating that the LockBit Black Ransomware had stolen and encrypted the organization’s data. LockBit made recent headlines for hacking SickKids, Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. The group later apologized for the attack and offered up the decryptor for free.
The ‘Black’ ransomware developed by LockBit is the latest version of the group’s encryptor. It first appeared in June 2022 and includes code used by the Black Matter ransomware group, which is now defunct. The Black encryptor is part of the group’s third project and differs rom 2.0 as it has new ways to pressure and extort victims such as new negotiation possibilities. Options include paying a specific fee to extend the timer by 24 hours, fees to destroy all data, or download the data immediately.
Read More: Royal Mail’s Attackers Linked to Russia-Backed LockBit