(Portland, OR) — An Armenian national has been charged in a Portland federal court in connection with a ransomware conspiracy. Karen Vardanyan allegedly worked with others to target businesses, including an Oregon business, with the Ryuk ransomware. It encrypts a computer until a ransom is paid in Bitcoin. Federal prosecutors say the conspiracy received over 16-hundred Bitcoins worth more than 15 million dollars. Vardanyan pleaded not guilty and is being held until trial.
