The FBI is currently keeping tabs on more than 100 ransomware groups in the wake of multiple, high-profile attacks.
Bryan Vorndran, assistant director of the FBI’s cyber division, was testifying before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing when he divulged the statistic, according to NBC News. Ransomware gangs have already cost untold damage in recent times. Hackers targeted managed software provider Kaseya; shut down JBS, one of the world’s largest meat processors; and crippled fuel supplies on the US East Coast by attacking Colonial Pipeline.
Some ransomware gangs have gone dark, most notably REvil, the gang behind the Kaseya attack. Similarly, the gang behind the Colonial Pipeline attack have disbanded their Ransomware as a Service (SaaS) operations.
Assistant Director Vorndran’s revelation echoes what other experts have said, warning that organizations should not get complacent just because some gangs have shut down.