The notorious Russia-based ransomware gang Lockbit 3.0 has claimed responsibility for a cyber attack against the U.S. Federal Reserve.

The attack was announced on June 23 through a posting on a site associated with the ransomware gang, in which the gang allegedly infiltrated the U.S. Federal Reserve's systems and leaked 33TB of sensitive banking information.

In the post titled "federalreserve.gov," the gang members explained how the Federal Reserve is structured and its role in distributing funds to the 12 banking districts in the US. They also gave the Federal Reserve a 48-hour deadline to fire a "clinical idiot" negotiator (Rockbit's words, not mine) who apparently valued the value of US banking secrecy at $50,000. The gang demanded that the Federal Reserve hire a new employee.

Lockbit 3.0 is notorious for its aggressive negotiation tactics and targeting of high-profile organizations. Recent victims of this ransomware gang include the Canadian pharmacy chain London Drugs, the City of Wichita, and Simone Veil Hospital in Cannes.

The attack on the Federal Reserve follows the unmasking by the U.S. justice system of Russian national Dmitry Khoroshev as the developer, creator, and administrator of the ransomware gang.