- This hacker ransomware Hive, LockBit and Babuk
- Now the police are actively looking for him.
US State Department introduced sanctions against Russian citizen Mikhail Matveev. This was reported by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Department of the Treasury (OFAC).
Authorities are offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification and arrest of the perpetrator.
Hacker Mikhail Matveev is involved in the work of LockBit, Babuk and Hive ransomware. Recall that these programs attacked the servers of various companies around the world. They stopped the work of the websites of airports, hospitals, schools, laboratories, police stations, etc. For unblocking, hackers extorted a bribe in bitcoins.
Since 2020, Matveev and his accomplices have carried out about 3,000 cyberattacks. Some victims went to blackmail and sent a ransom. Due to this, the criminals received more than $400 million. But the amount may be higher, since many companies did not contact the police and simply sent the ransom.
“The United States will not tolerate ransomware attacks against our people and our institutions. Software authors such as Matveev will be held accountable for their crimes, and we will continue to use all available powers and tools to protect against cyberthreats.”
During the year-long investigation, the identity of some of the hackers was declassified. Matveev faces up to 20 years in prison.
Recall that at the beginning of the year, the FBI blocked the servers of the Hive crypto-ransomware.