LockBit ransom gang goes on another spree

Updated on: 07 June 2023

Damien Black
Senior Journalist

LockBit ransomware — Image by Cybernews.

The notorious Russia-linked ransomware outfit appears to be enjoying another bonanza of cybercrime, having claimed 24 fresh victims in the same number of hours, cyber watchdogs report.

“Newark Academy in Livingstone, New Jersey marks LockBit’s 24th post in 24 hours,” announced ransomware watcher Dominic Alvieri on Twitter.

Not long before that, Alvieri had pointed out another cyberattack claimed by LockBit, which he referred to as “a first” in the short but rapidly evolving history of ransomware crime.

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Cyber watchdog Dominic Alvieri claims Cross City Tunnel attack in Sydney is the first of its kind

The Cross City Tunnel in Sydney, Australia, was also claimed by the Russian-affiliated gang as a victim, with a June 26th deadline issued — presumably intended for local officials to pay an unspecified ransom demand or risk the consequences.

Usually these involve encrypting and publishing vital data that a target organization depends on to function or would rather its competitors did not learn. Newark Academy has been given a tighter payment deadline of June 23rd, although cybercriminals have been known to be flexible and willing to extend if negotiations stall.

VX-Underground, another cybercrime analyst that regularly posts on Twitter, put LockBit’s claimed tally at 23 victims in a single day, shortly before Newark Academy was added to list by Alvieri.

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Shortly before a 24th victim was shared by Alvieri, fellow Twitter-based analyst VX-Underground had the victim count at 23

Among those targets were Pittsburg Unified School District and a healthcare center in Fredericksburg, Virginia, both in the US. A municipality in Iceland was also named by VX-Underground as a victim.

It should be noted that ransomware actors sometimes make victim claims that prove unsubstantiated, and at the time of going to press Cybernews was unable to verify the truth of any of those shared on Twitter.

That said, LockBit remains the most prolific ransomware gang on the cybercrime scene, with the DarkFeed monitoring website tracking its total haul of victims at close to 1,800 at the time of writing.

LockBit ransom gang goes on another spree

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