TrickBot, Conti: US indicts nine alleged members of Russian cybercrime gang that targeted hospitals
Also: Multiple Foreign Nationals Charged in Connection with Trickbot Malware and Conti Ransomware Conspiracies (U.S. Department of Justice)
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Source: CNN
US indicts nine alleged members of Russian cybercrime gang that targeted hospitals
By Sean Lyngaas, CNN
Published 6:05 PM EDT, Thu September 7, 2023
(CNN) — The US Justice Department on Thursday announced indictments against nine men for working for a notorious cybercriminal network with alleged ties to Russian intelligence and which held US hospitals for ransom and reaped over $100 million in payments.
It’s the culmination of a years-long FBI investigation into a ransomware gang that pledged allegiance to Russia as it launched its assault on Ukraine last year, and whose members have allegedly discussed hacking a journalist investigating the poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny.
The nine men – eight Russians and a Ukrainian, according to the charging documents – remain at large, but US officials are hoping a multimillion-dollar rewards program run by the State Department can lead to tips on the men’s whereabouts if and when they leave Russia.
“The offer has been proven to be highly valuable to us and our operations against cybercriminals,” a senior FBI official told CNN.
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Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/09/07/politics/us-indicts-alleged-cybercriminals/index.html
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Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Multiple Foreign Nationals Charged in Connection with Trickbot Malware and Conti Ransomware Conspiracies
Thursday, September 7, 2023
For Immediate Release
Office of Public Affairs
Three indictments in three different federal jurisdictions have been unsealed charging multiple Russian cybercrime actors involved in the Trickbot malware and Conti ransomware schemes.
According to court documents and public reporting, Trickbot, which was taken down in 2022, was a suite of malware tools designed to steal money and facilitate the installation of ransomware. Hospitals, schools, and businesses were among the millions of Trickbot victims who suffered tens of millions of dollars in losses. While active, Trickbot malware, which acted as an initial intrusion vector into victim computer systems, was used to support various ransomware variants, including Conti. Conti was a ransomware variant used to attack more than 900 victims worldwide, including victims in approximately 47 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and approximately 31 foreign countries. According to the FBI, in 2021, Conti ransomware was used to attack more critical infrastructure victims than any other ransomware variant.
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“The defendants charged in these three indictments across three different jurisdictions allegedly used their cyber knowledge and capabilities to victimize people and businesses around the world without regard for the damage they caused,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These indictments should serve as a reminder that no matter a cybercriminal’s location, we will identify and pursue them by doing everything in our power to ensure they face the consequences of their actions.”
“Conti ransomware was used to exploit our financial systems and target hundreds of innocent victims,” said Special Agent in Charge William Mancino of the U.S. Secret Service’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The Secret Service will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to investigate cybercriminals and bring offenders to justice.”
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Read more: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/multiple-foreign-nationals-charged-connection-trickbot-malware-and-conti-ransomware
