Crime and Fraud
Russian Man Charged Over US Ransomware Attacks
A Russian man has been charged over a series of ransomware attacks targeting people in Texas and across the US.
Aleksandr Viktorovich Ryzhenkov, is accused of using the BitPaymer ransomware to target victims. The indictment alleges Ryzhenkov and his conspirators held sensitive data for ransom, impacting numerous companies.
The Ransomware Attacks
The attacks started in June 2017. Ryzhenkov allegedly gained unauthorized access to computer networks, according to the indictment.
Once inside, he and his associates deployed BitPaymer, a ransomware strain that encrypted the victims’ files, making them inaccessible. An electronic ransom note was then left on the affected systems, providing instructions on how to negotiate the ransom to regain access to the encrypted data.
Ryzhenkov and his group reportedly demanded large sums of money in exchange for a decryption key and the promise not to release the sensitive data online.
Methods Used to Breach Systems
The indictment outlines various methods Ryzhenkov allegedly used to infiltrate the networks.
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