DOJ Offers $10 Million Reward for Info on Alleged Russian Ransomware Hacker

A Russian subject has been charged for his alleged role in thecyberattacksagainst jurisprudence enforcement , government activity federal agency , hospitals , and school day . The U.S. Department of Justice unseal two indictments on Tuesday against Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev , who is known online as Wazawaka , claiming he demanded a sum of $ 400 million from his victims and receive roughly $ 200 million in ransom payments .

“ From his home pedestal in Russia , Matveev allegedly used multiple ransomware variants to attack decisive base around the populace , include hospitals , regime agencies , and dupe in other sector , ” Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite , Jr. of the Justice Department ’s Criminal Division said in a DOJpress release . “ These international offense demand a coordinated response . We will not relent in imposing consequences on the most rank actors in the cybercrime ecosystem . ”

Matveev is not believed to have play alone , harmonise to the release , which submit he was a member of theLockbit , Babuk , andHive ransomwaregangs , which are “ ranked among the most combat-ready and destructive cybercriminal terror in the world . ” The Babuk gang is say to have deployed ransomware against the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington , D.C. in 2021 , infecting the systems with spyware and steal data to squeeze the section . The MPD was threaten with disclosing sensitive selective information unless they paid the ransom . Matveev is also charged with conducting a serial of ransomware crime include multiple Lockbit attacks against a constabulary department and a non-profit-making behavioural healthcare establishment in New Jersey .

Image: Gorodenkoff (Shutterstock)

The attack first began in January 2020 , when the Lockbit ransomware group surfaced and has since executed more than 1,400 blast globally and received more than $ 75 million in ransom defrayal . Babuk came on the view in December of that year , carrying out roughly 65 ransomware attacks globally and receiving at least $ 13 million in payments . Hive was the final group to issue ransomware attacks begin in June 2021 , move an estimated 1,400 victim globally and receiving at least $ 120 million in ransom payments , according to the DOJ release .

The DOJ is offer a payoff of up to $ 10 million for info that leads to Matveev ’s arrest and/or conviction . Matveev is charged with conspiring to convey ransom demands , conspiring to damage protect computers , and intentionally damaging protected computing machine , and if convicted , Matveev faces more than 20 year in prison .

“ Thanks to the over-the-top fact-finding body of work of prosecutors from my authority and our FBI partners , Matveev no longer hides in the shadow – We have publicly identified his criminal act and charged him with multiple Union crimes , ” New Jersey District Attorney Philip R. Sellinger say in the button . “ Let today ’s charge be a reminder to cybercriminals everywhere – my position is devoted to combatting cybercrime and will give up no imagination in bringing to Department of Justice those who apply ransomware attacks to target dupe . ”

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