Hackers arrested for LockBit ransomware attack plead guilty

cyber chronicle, 25.07.2024, 10:00 AM

Two Russian nationals have pleaded guilty to ransomware attacks LockBit to victims worldwide, and $2 million in damage caused by those attacks.

Ruslan Astamirov, 21, a Russian citizen, and Mikhail Vasiliev, 34, who holds both Canadian and Russian citizenships, used LockBit ransomware to attack about two dozen victims in the US, Japan, France, Scotland, Kenya, Great Britain and Switzerland.

Hiding behind various pseudonyms on the Internet, the duo extorted a total of $1.95 million from victims who paid the ransom between 2020 and 2023, but also left behind multimillion-dollar damages as a result of their attacks.

Astamirov, who pleaded guilty, faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison, and Vasiljev a sentence of up to 45 years in prison.

Vasiliev was first charged and arrested by Canadian authorities in November 2022 and later extradited to the United States to face trial.

The date of sentencing has not yet been determined.

LockBit emerged in January 2020 and quickly grew into one of the most active and destructive ransomware groups in the world. Operation LockBit is responsible for attacks on more than 2,500 victims in at least 120 countries.

Victims of this group are individuals, small businesses, multinational corporations, hospitals, schools, non-profit organizations, critical infrastructure and government institutions.

During the four years that LockBit’s attacks last, about $500 million has been extorted from victims, and ransomware attacks have caused billions of dollars in losses.

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