Ukrainian Cyberpolice has arrested several members of a hacking group that’s targeted a number of U.S. companies with ransomware attacks.
Cyber police on Wednesday announced that they arrested six defendants who carried out attacks of malicious software such as “Ransomware” on the servers of American and Korean companies. “For deciphering the data, they demanded a “ransom”, and in case of non-payment, they threatened to disclose the confidential data of the victims, “ police said.
The hacker group was exposed by officers of the Cyberpolice Department together with the Main Investigation Department of the National Police.
“The perpetrators were exposed as part of an international operation to promote and coordinate Interpol (IGCI), and together with law enforcement officials from the Republic of Korea and the United States,” Cyberpolice said.
Using remote access, the suspects activated malicious software “Cobalt Strike”, which provided information about the vulnerabilities of infected servers for further capture. The attackers received a “ransom” in cryptocurrency for decrypting the information.
In 2021, the defendants attacked and encrypted the personal data of employees and financial reports of Stanford University Medical School, the University of Maryland and the University of California.
“Unlike common ransomware attacks, which encrypt a large number of uninstalled PCs and servers, the Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) attack is aimed at a specific victim’s computer network and infects the entire system with a ransomware program,” police said.
“The total damage reaches $ 500 million”.
The joint efforts of law enforcement officers managed to stop the infrastructure from which the virus is spreading and block the channels of legalization of cryptocurrency obtained by criminal means.
“Law enforcement officers conducted 21 searches in the capital and Kyiv region, in the homes of the defendants and in their cars,” police said.
“The Tactical and Operational Response Unit of the Patrol Police was involved in the searches. Computer equipment, cars and about 5 million hryvnias in cash were confiscated. The property of the perpetrators was seized.”
A criminal case under Part 2 of Art. 361 (Unauthorized interference in the work of computers, automated systems, computer networks or telecommunications networks) and Part 2 of Art. 209 (Legalization (laundering) of property obtained by criminal means) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, police said.
“The defendants face up to eight years in prison. Investigative actions continue,” police said.
Cyber-attack has become a headache in the United States. Recent attacks at the Colonial Pipeline resulted shutting down of the U.S’s largest fuel pipeline for five days, and JBS, one of the country’s largest meat suppliers.
The majority of the most prolific ransomware groups are believed to operate in Eastern Europe, and Russia in particular.
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