‘Phobos’ Ransomware Cybercriminal Extradited From S. Korea

After being extradited from South Korea, a Russian cybercriminal chief has made his first look within the US District Courtroom for the District of Maryland to face his prices.

Evgenii Ptitsyn, 42, is a Russian nationwide who allegedly administered the sale, distribution, and operation of Phobos ransomware, which has been used towards greater than 1,000 victims, together with private and non-private entities in america and globally. Utilizing Phobos ransomware, its associates have extorted ransom funds amounting to greater than $16 million, based on the indictment.

Ptitsyn and his associates conspired to partake in a world pc hacking and extortion scheme utilizing the ransomware, based on the Justice Division, which believes the exercise to have begun in no less than November 2020.

Alongside together with his co-conspirators, Ptitsyn would provide entry to the ransomware to different criminals, creating an operation by which associates would use unauthorized credentials to realize entry into victims’ pc networks, steal information and applications, and encrypt the unique variations of the stolen information earlier than putting in and executing the Phobos ransomware. The associates would threaten to reveal the stolen information to the general public or the sufferer’s shoppers, clients, or constituents if the ransom was not paid.

“Ptitsyn and his co-conspirators hacked not solely giant firms, but additionally colleges, hospitals, nonprofits, and a federally acknowledged tribe, they usually extorted greater than $16 million in ransom funds,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Legal professional Normal Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Division’s Felony Division. “Ptitsyn’s indictment, arrest, and extradition replicate the Felony Division’s dedication to main the battle towards the worldwide scourge of ransomware.”

Charged in a 13-count indictment with wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit pc fraud and abuse, 4 counts of inflicting intentional injury to protected computer systems, and 4 counts of extortion in relation to hacking, Ptitsyn will face a most penalty of 20 years in jail for every wire fraud depend, 10 years for every pc hacking depend, and 5 years for conspiracy to commit pc fraud and abuse, if he’s convicted.