Countering ransomware: Ransomware gang disruptions do work

Countering ransomware remains one of the top priorities for nations and their law enforcement and intelligence agencies. The persistence of ransomware, which can largely be attributed to its high profits combined with the safe harbor given to ransomware actors in Russia, has evolved into a cybercrime battle with no perfect solution. In many cases, it is not possible to arrest, prosecute or even indict the perpetrators. 

In the face of these challenges, governments are increasingly employing creative ways to exert pressure on threat actors and impose cost upon their operations. Given the transnational nature of this crime and the complexities of mounting technical operations against these groups, law enforcement recognizes the need for cooperation between international agencies and the private sector. Recent operations aim to identify and name perpetrators, disrupt technical infrastructure, make arrests where possible, impose sanctions and seize their cryptocurrency.