Fulton County Stands Firm Against LockBit Ransomware Threats
Fulton County, Georgia, has been at the centre of a ransomware dispute with the LockBit group. The county has consistently denied paying the ransom, despite the group's claims and threats to leak sensitive data.
The saga began when LockBit threatened Fulton County with publishing internal documents unless a ransom was paid. The group initially set a deadline of Feb. 29, which was later revised to the morning of the same day. Throughout this period, Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts maintained that the county did not intend to pay the ransom and was unaware of any data release.
In a surprising turn of events, LockBit removed Fulton County's listing from its site as the countdown timer expired. The group claimed that the county had paid the ransom, but officials swiftly denied this. However, just days later, LockBit reemerged with new domains on the dark web, listing Fulton County among victims with upcoming data leaks.
Meanwhile, on Feb. 19, the FBI and the U.K.'s NCA took over LockBit's online infrastructure. A seizure notice and decryption tools were displayed, suggesting a significant blow to the group's operations. It is believed that this action may have caused data loss for LockBit.
The fate of Fulton County's data remains uncertain, despite the county's refusal to pay the ransom. With LockBit's servers seized and the group reemerging with new domains, the situation continues to unfold. Officials are working to ensure the safety and security of the county's data, while also cooperating with law enforcement to combat ransomware threats.
