The notorious hacking gang Lockbit, which also blackmailed the KNVB, was arrested

The hacker group had its own website, on which, among other things, the names of victims who did not pay quickly were published. She added: “This site is now under the control of the UK's National Crime Agency, which has worked closely with the FBI and the international task force for Operation Kronos.” Investigative agencies in France, Japan, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland and Germany also participated in the operation.

Nothing is known about any arrests. According to spokesmen for the British National Crime Agency and the US Department of Justice, the operation is still ongoing. Lockbit, possibly founded by Russian hackers, has become the world's most feared criminal hacker gang in just a few years. Last year, the group stormed the largest bank in China. According to cybercrime experts from Delft-based security firm Fox-IT, Lockbit has also fallen victim to dozens of Dutch companies.

KNVB

For example, the KNVB Football Association was hacked by Lockbit. The Dutch Football Association then paid a ransom – perhaps more than €1 million – to prevent the compromised personal data of members, among others, from becoming public. In most cases, attacks on Dutch companies could not be publicized because they paid up quickly.

On the now-defunct website, the group said it was based in the Netherlands. According to US authorities, the gang struck more than 1,700 organizations in the United States, ranging from financial and educational institutions to food companies and government departments. It demanded a ransom of more than $100 million.