Ransomware Group Hunters International Announces Exit

Cybercrime Experts Greet Announcement With Skepticism Akshaya Asokan (asokan_akshaya) • July 3, 2025

Hunters International said Thursday it closed shop, provoking skepticism among cybercrime experts who said it's more likely the Russian-speaking hackers behind the ransomware group will start up again under a new brand name.

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The group cited "recent developments" without elaboration in a missive posted to its leak site announcing "project closure" and a pledge to publish decryption keys for victims of its cryptolocking malware.

The closure announcement could mean Hunters hackers met a pre-set extortion earnings goal or that the group is facing mounting pressure from law enforcement, said Milivoj Rajić, head of threat intelligence at DynaRisk. But there's nothing in the closure announcement that is a "clear indication of permanent shutdown," he said.

The hackers behind Hunters ...