16-year-old allegedly led ransomware gang behind hundreds of attacks

What happened: An international operation called Operation KillSwitch took down the KillSec ransomware group's leak site and key servers. A 16-year-old is suspected of being the group's main operator. Key numbers: About 1,000 suspected attacks, roughly 500 identified as successful. At least 110 terabytes of stolen data secured. Why it matters: Europol says the group used AI to build infrastructure and find victims, and warns the count of successful attacks may change as evidence is reviewed. Ransomware groups often resurface under new names, so prevention remains important.

An international operation called Operation KillSwitch took down the KillSec ransomware group's leak site and key servers. A 16-year-old is suspected of being the group's main operator.

Europol says the group used AI to build infrastructure and find victims, and warns the count of successful attacks may change as evidence is reviewed. Ransomware groups often resurface under new names, so prevention remains important.