Originally published February 26, 2024; updated October 2025 Learning from the LockBit Takedown An international law-enforcement task force composed of agencies from 10 countries (including Australia and Japan) has announced the successful takedown of the LockBit ransomware gang. Operation Cronos , led by UK and US authorities, seized the darknet sites run by LockBit, the infamous and prolific ransomware group that claimed more than 2,000 victims worldwide and extorted more than US$120 million in ransom payments. At the February 24, 2024, press conference announcing the takedown of the LockBit gang, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Cyber Deputy Assistant Director Brett Leatherman shared that “a joint sequenced operation among 10 countries disrupted LockBit's front- and back-end infrastructure in the U.S. and abroad.” Details of the takedown were announced at the FBI briefing about the disruption and dismantling of the LockBit gang.…