meatware

There appears to be some confusion about this post and how groups such as Lockbit operate. Lockbit offers a "service" of ransomware. He gives you a pretty panel, some tools for making ransomware (his), a chatroom to harass victims and bully them, etc. In exchange for him providing this service he takes a cut of any money you receive from ransoming companies. Lockbit ransomware group did ransom hospitals. However, it was not "Lockbit" the "service" provider. Rather, it was someone who used his service. The people who use this service are called "affiliates". At Lockbits peak they had over 100 affiliates. Some affiliates did ransom hospitals. This particular affiliate who messaged me, who is FBI Most Wanted, believed it was unethical to ransom healthcare because it could potentially endanger someone's life. Although, he was still a criminal and harassed, bullied, and extorted companies of all sizes including public schools. One time he ransomed a car wash. He didn't care. Anyway Lockbit themselves (the "service" provider) allowed affiliates to ransom hospitals because ... they didn't really care. Lockbit (the service provider) approved of schools, churches, non profits, hospitals, doctors, government agencies, etc. to all be victims of ransomware. He didn't really have exclude anything. Nothing was off limits. Lockbit (the service provider) made an estimated $1,000,000,000 from their crimes as providing this service and facilitating ransomware all across the planet. One administrator resides in Russia. The other (ex administrator) was located in Israel. However, he was arrested and deported to the United States some time ago when the FBI found him.

What’s crazy to me…is the insanity of people literally imploding over the people finding massive fraud, rather than the people doing massive fraud.