Two new indictments released in the US reveal Russians as key players in the “development and deployment” of Hive, LockBit and Babak ransomware.
Yesterday, Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev (aka Wazawaka/m1x/Boriselcin/Uhodiransomwar) was indicted on charges of conspiracy to send a ransom demand, conspiracy to damage a protected computer, and intentional damage to a protected computer. I was.
For more on ransomware, see Global Action ‘Tears Down’ Hive Ransomware Group.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. However, that is unlikely as the suspect is believed to reside in Russia. The State Department has issued a $10 million reward for information leading to Mr. Matveev’s arrest and/or conviction under its International Organized Crime Rewards Program.
The Department of Justice (DoJ) has named several alleged victims of Matveyev, including law enforcement in New Jersey, a nonprofit behavioral health organization, and the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.
The Justice Department estimated the total ransom for the three variants at $200 million in total, adding that the affiliates behind it are demanding double that amount.
“From its home base in Russia, Matveev used multiple ransomware variants to target critical victims around the world, including hospitals, government agencies, and other sectors,” said Kenneth Polite, Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. They allegedly attacked infrastructure,” he said.
“These global crimes require a coordinated response. We will not tolerate consequences for the most nefarious actors in the cybercrime ecosystem.”
In addition to the indictments, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has announced sanctions against Matveyev.
He was “outspoken” about his ransomware campaign in media interviews, claiming that the Putin regime would tolerate his criminal activities as long as he remained loyal to Russia.
“Russia is a safe haven for cybercriminals and a free environment for ransomware attackers to conduct malicious cyber operations against the United States, its partners and allies,” said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. It is,” he added.
