A ransomware gang’s internal drama leaked after it backed Russia

The data leak, which lays bare unprecedented details of attack infrastructure, Bitcoin addresses, as well as internal conflicts and accusations, might never have occurred if the ransomware group Conti had chosen to stay apolitical, said Holden. — Dreamstime/TNS

One of the world’s most successful ransomware groups is reeling from a massive dump of its own internal data after the cybercriminal gang aligned itself with the Russian government.

Conti, a cybercriminal group that researchers say is based in Russia, has extorted millions of dollars from US and European companies in recent years. It provides affiliates around the world with malware that they deploy against victims in exchange for a cut of the ransom payments.