If all you know of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is the action-packed drama you see on television, it may come as a surprise to learn how proficient it is when it comes to solving cybercrime. Last week U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland touted the FBI’s latest victory when he announced the temporary dismantling of the Hive ransomware network.

Officials estimate the effort saved victims as much as $130 million in ransom payments.

“Simply put, using lawful means we hacked the hackers,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said.

FBI Director Christopher Wray — who also gave credit to German police and other international partners — said the FBI was able to decrypt the network of approximately 1,300 victims globally.

“Cybercrime is a constantly evolving threat, but as I have said before, the Justice Department will spare no resource to bring to justice anyone anywhere that targets the United States with a ransomware attack,” Wray said.

As is the case with most of what the FBI fights, however, this victory is significant, but likely short-lived. More will step in where Hive has been stalled. It is comforting to know talented agents are capable of fighting the threat, but the task they face is overwhelming, and it’s constantly growing and changing. Among the ways we can help them do their jobs is to report if we become victims of similar attacks.

“Here, fortunately, we were still able to identify and help many victims who didn’t report. But that is not always the case,” Wray said. “When victims report attacks to us, we can help them and others, too.”

In the meantime, we must hope the FBI’s success leads to indictments and arrests; and perhaps throws a scare into some who may attempt similar crimes. But it won’t slow them down for long.

editorial@vindy.com