Russia has sentenced 4 members of the REvil ransomware operation to over 4 years in jail for distributing malware and unlawful circulation of technique of cost.
REvil ransomware (aka Sodin and Sodinokibi) was launched in April 2019 as a direct successor of the GandCrab operation.
In lower than a yr, the gang grew to become probably the most prolific ransomware group, asking for a number of the highest ransom funds on the time and incomes over $100 million in a yr.
Nonetheless, in July 2021, when Revil hit over 1,500 companies worldwide in a Kaseya provide chain assault, issues took a flip for the more serious for the ransomware gang.
In response to the assault, President Biden requested President Putin to take motion towards cybercriminals residing in Russia; in any other case, the U.S. would take motion by itself.
Feeling the stress from worldwide regulation enforcement, the REvil operation took a break after which resumed operations two months later. Nonetheless, they didn’t know that US regulation enforcement and worldwide companions had breached their servers earlier than the breach. When the cybercriminals restored from backups, the criminals additionally restored machines managed by regulation enforcement.
On the request of the US authorities, Russia’s Federal Safety Service (FSB) disrupted the REvil ransomware gang in January 2022 after a world regulation enforcement operation recognized and arrested members of ransomware operations, together with the affiliate behind the Kaseya assault.
The FSB’s motion in 2022 led to the arrest of 14 members of the ransomware gang, raids at 25 addresses, and the seizure of $6.6. million.
“The premise for the search actions was the enchantment of the competent US authorities, who reported on the chief of the felony group and his involvement in encroachments on the knowledge sources of overseas high-tech corporations by introducing malicious software program, encrypting info and extorting cash for its decryption,” Russia’s Federal Safety Service mentioned in a press assertion on the time.
As reported by The Report, eight members had been finally tried, with Artem Zayets, Alexey Malozemov, Daniil Puzyrevsky, and Ruslan Khansvyarov sentenced as we speak and 4 others put right into a separate continuing.
In response to Russian media Kommersant, Zayets was sentenced as we speak to 4.5 years, Malozemov to five years, Khansvyarov to five.5 years, and Puzyrevsky to six years.
The courtroom discovered all 4 responsible of unlawful circulation of technique of cost, with Khansvyarov and Puzyrevsky additionally discovered responsible of distributing malware.
The opposite 4 members, Andrey Bessonov, Mikhail Golovachuk, Roman Muromsky, and Dmitry Korotayev, will now be tried in a separate continuing for unlawful entry to laptop info.