Belarusian citizen Maxim Silnikov received a 16-year prison sentence in the U.S. for his involvement in an international ransomware scheme. This was
reported
on the U.S. Department of Justice website,
writes
Devby.io.
Spanish special forces officers lead Belarusian cybercriminal Maxim Silnikov in handcuffs. Photos: Belpol / National Crime Agency of Great Britain (NCA) / vecteezy. Collage: Nasha Niva
Maxim Silnikov was found guilty of conspiracy to commit crimes against the United States, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, 40-year-old Silnikov was the creator and administrator of the Ransom Cartel group, which used the eponymous ransomware program he developed in 2021. Silnikov had been active on Russian-speaking cybercrime forums since at least 2005. From 2011 to 2016, he was also a participant in the cybercrime website Direct Connection, which ceased operations after its administrator’s arrest.
In May 2021, Silnikov began developing his own ransomware operation and recruiting participants through cybercrime forums. He provided them with various information and tools for conducting attacks, including data on compromised computers and stolen credentials, as well as tools for encrypting and locking compromised devices.
Silnikov managed the scheme through a hidden website used by him and his accomplices. There, they monitored and tracked attacks, communicated with each other and with victims, including sending them ransom demands, and distributed the collected money among themselves.
From 2021 to 2023, Silnikov’s Ransom Cartel accomplices attacked at least 18 companies worldwide. Victims included companies from California, New York, and Nebraska, as well as organizations outside the United States. Hackers stole company data and demanded money in exchange for a decryption key or a promise not to publish the information.
The scheme ceased after Silnikov’s arrest in July 2023. He was extradited from Poland for criminal prosecution in cases heard in the Eastern District of Virginia and the District of New Jersey. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Ronnie D. Alston, Jr.
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