US indicts LockBit ransomware ringleader, offers $10 million reward

1 week ago

The Department of Justice has unsealed charges against a Russian nationalist accused of processing and administrating LockBit ransomware. In a filing connected Tuesday, nan DOJ claims nan 31-year-old Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev helped make LockBit 1 of “the astir prolific and destructive ransomware group[s] successful nan world.”

Khoroshev has allegedly had engagement successful LockBit since it first emerged successful September 2019. Over nan years, LockBit ransomware attacks person claimed complete 2,500 victims successful astatine slightest 120 countries, pinch Khoroshev and different co-conspirators allegedly collecting astatine slightest $500 cardinal successful ransom payments.

LockBit operates utilizing a ransomware-as-a-service model, allowing bad actors to acquisition aliases rent ransomware to deploy it against victims. The ransomware has been linked to nan high-profile attacks connected nan UK’s Royal Mail service, a children’s hospital, and nan mini Canadian municipality of St. Marys, Ontario.

In February, US and UK rule enforcement seized nan websites and servers utilized by LockBit and moreover obtained nan keys they could usage to thief organizations regain entree to their data. At nan time, it besides charged Artur Sungatov and Ivan Kondratyev pinch deploying LockBit against victims successful nan US.

Khoroshev allegedly took 20 percent of each ransom costs extorted from victims and besides operated nan group’s information leak site. Law enforcement recovered that Khoroshev kept victims’ stolen information moreover aft nan group “falsely promised” it would delete nan accusation erstwhile receiving a payment.

“Today’s indictment marks a important milestone successful nan investigation and prosecution of LockBit, which has already led to charges against 5 different LockBit affiliates — 2 of whom are successful custody awaiting proceedings — and a awesome disruption of nan now discredited LockBit operation,” US Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for nan District of New Jersey says successful a statement.

Khoroshev faces 26 charges — including 1 count of conspiracy to perpetrate fraud and 8 counts of extortion to harm to a protected machine — and up to 185 years successful prison. In summation to sanctioning Khoroshev, nan feds are offering a $10 cardinal reward for accusation that helps rule enforcement apprehend him.