An international law enforcement operation has dismantled a Romanian ransomware group known as Diskstation, which crippled businesses in Italy’s Lombardy region by encrypting their systems.
The coordinated effort, called Operation Elicius, involved Europol and police forces from Romania and France.
Diskstation specifically targets Synology NAS devices, commonly used by organizations for file storage, backups, and hosting. The group operated under various names since 2021, including DiskStation Security, Quick Security, and Umbrella Security, demanding ransoms ranging from ten thousand to several hundred thousand dollars.
Victims included graphic and film studios, event organizers, and international NGOs. The ransomware paralyzed production systems and forced businesses to pay in cryptocurrency to regain access.
Investigations led by the Milan Prosecutor’s Office combined digital forensics and blockchain analysis to track down the suspects. In June 2024, Romanian police raided several locations in Bucharest, seizing evidence and arresting a 44-year-old man believed to be the main operator. He is now in pre-trial detention facing charges related to cyber extortion and unauthorized system access.
Authorities urge NAS device users to secure their systems by updating firmware, disabling unnecessary services, avoiding internet exposure, and using VPNs for access.
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