Cops Are Just Trolling Russian Cybercriminals Now

By Matt Burgess

Russian cybercriminals are almost untouchable. For years, hackers based in the country have launched devastating ransomware attacks against [hospitals](https://www.wired.com/story/ransomware-hospital-death-germany/), [critical infrastructure](https://www.wired.com/story/colonial-pipeline-ransomware-attack/), and [businesses](https://www.wired.com/story/ransomware-payments-2023-breaks-record/), causing billions in losses. But they’re out of reach of Western law enforcement and largely ignored by the Russian authorities. When police do take the criminals’ servers and websites offline, they’re often back [hacking within weeks](https://www.wired.com/story/blackcat-ransomware-disruptions-comebacks/).

Now investigators are increasingly adding a new dimension to their disruption playbook: messing with cybercriminals’ minds. To put it bluntly, they’re trolling the hackers.

Read the full story: [https://www.wired.com/story/cop-cybercriminal-hacker-psyops/](https://www.wired.com/story/cop-cybercriminal-hacker-psyops/)