FBI recovers ransomware payments paid out by hospitals TechRadar Skip to main content TechRadar is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's why you can trust us. FBI recovers ransomware payments paid out by hospitals By Sead Fadilpašić published 21 July 2022 Multiple hospitals paid north of $100,000 in exchange for Maui ransomware decryption key (Image credit: Future) Audio player loading… The FBI has managed to track down, and retrieve, almost half a million dollars extorted from multiple American healthcare organizations in ransomware demands. In its announcement, the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) described how when a hospital in Kansas was struck by the Maui ransomware in May 2021, it quickly notified law enforcement, which was a crucial move that eventually led not just to the retrieval of the funds, but to a lot more. The FBI said that timely disclosure helped to obtain, and analyze, a brand new malware (opens in new tab) strain, and eventually identify the perpetrators and return the money. Obtaining a brand new ransomware strain The Maui perpetrators were identified as a North Korean state-sponsored threat actor. The Kansas hospital had paid some $100,000 in cryptocurrencies in exchange for the decryption key, while another medical services provider in Colorado had paid $120,000 shortly after. Following the money helped the FBI identify an "undisclosed number" of additional payments, amounting up to $280,000, with the total amount seized in May 2022 amounting to some $500,000. "Thanks to rapid reporting and cooperation from a victim, the FBI, and Justice Department prosecutors have disrupted the activities of a North Korean state-sponsored group deploying ransomware known as 'Maui'," explained Lisa O. Monaco, Deputy Attorney General. "Not only did this allow us to recover their ransom payment as well as a ransom paid by previously unknown victims, but we were also able to identify a previously unidentified ransomware strain."Read more> Ransomware attacks are costing US schools and colleges billions (opens in new tab) > Microsoft links Holy Ghost ransomware operation to North Korean hackers (opens in new tab) > These are the best firewalls right now (opens in new tab) Even though cryptocurrencies are often perceived as a great tool for cybercriminals, it's actually a lot easier to track money going over the blockchain, compared to traditional finance. Blockchain's very nature is pseudonymous, rather than anonymous, and once an identity is connected to a specific wallet, tracking the flows of money becomes a lot easier. The cryptocurrency industry does have its own money launderers, but as BleepingComputer reports, following the money laundering process after the ransom payment can help the police identify, and possibly arrest, the threat actors.These are the best endpoint protection (opens in new tab) services right now Via: BleepingComputer (opens in new tab) Sead Fadilpašić Sead is a seasoned freelance journalist based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He writes about IT (cloud, IoT, 5G, VPN) and cybersecurity (ransomware, data breaches, laws and regulations). In his career, spanning more than a decade, he's written for numerous media outlets, including Al Jazeera Balkans. He's also held several modules on content writing for Represent Communications. See more Computing news Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to theTechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Thank you for signing up to TechRadar. You will receive a verification email shortly. There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again. MOST POPULARMOST SHARED1The iPhone 14 Pro is made of the wrong stuff; the Pixel 7 proves that to me2Stop saying Mario doesn't have an accent in The Super Mario Bros. Movie3Google Pixel Tablet is what Apple should've done ages ago4RTX 4090 too expensive? Nvidia resurrects another old favorite5More than one million credit card details leaked online1The iPhone 14 Pro is made of the wrong stuff; the Pixel 7 proves that to me2iPhone 15 tipped to come with an upgraded 5G chip3If this feature succeeds for Modern Warfare 2, Microsoft can't ignore it4Apple October launches: the new devices we might see this month5The Rings of Power episode 8 trailer feels like one big Sauron misdirect Technology Magazines (opens in new tab)● (opens in new tab)The best tech tutorials and in-depth reviewsFrom$12.99 (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab)