Robbinhood ransomware: Iranian man pleads guilty to cyber crime that cost US government millions | #cybercrime | #infosec


An Iranian man who used Robbinhood ransomware to extort millions from governments and organisations in the US pleaded guilty on Tuesday in a North Carolina court.

According to the US Department of Justice, Sina Gholinejad, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of computer fraud and abuse, and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Ransomware is a type of malware that is designed to deny users, businesses or organisations access to their data stored on computers or servers. In a ransomware attack, data is often encrypted and criminals demand payment for the decryption key.

Gholinejad could face as much as 30 years in prison, although that does not seem likely.

“Gholinejad and his co-conspirators — all of whom were overseas — caused tens of millions of dollars in losses and disrupted essential public services by deploying the Robbinhood ransomware against US cities, healthcare organisations and businesses,” said Matthew Galeotti, head of the US Justice Department’s criminal division.

Prosecutors added that after Gholinejad and his co-conspirators would lock access to victims’ files and hardware, they would often extort payments in the Bitcoin and then launder that money through cryptocurrency mixing services.

The Justice Department said in 2019 that the government of Maryland’s capital Baltimore was left reeling for months due to ransomware used by Gholinejad. It ultimately lost more than $19 million from the damage to the city’s computer networks “and the resulting disruption to several essential city services, including online services for processing property taxes, water bills, parking citations and other revenue-generating functions”.

The indictment said that Gholinejad’s ransomware attacks began and 2019, and lasted until early 2025.

Although many of the court documents surrounding the investigation of his crimes remain sealed, several that have been opened show that an arrest warrant was issued for Gholinejad in 2024, and that he was apprehended in North Carolina this year.

Gholinejad is scheduled to be sentenced in August.

According to a new data breach report from Verizon, there has been a significant growth in threats from ransomware in recent years.

There is a silver lining, however: the median amount paid to ransomware groups decreased to about $115,000, compared to $150,000 in the year before.

Another bright spot, according to the report, was that 64 per cent of ransomware victims did not pay the ransom.

Forty-four per cent of ransomware victims, according to Verizon, were local US governments, but similar bodies and municipalities in Europe, the Middle East and Africa have been affected.

SPAIN SQUAD

Goalkeepers Simon (Athletic Bilbao), De Gea (Manchester United), Sanchez (Brighton)

Defenders Gaya (Valencia), Alba (Barcelona), P Torres (Villarreal), Laporte (Manchester City), Garcia (Manchester City), D Llorente (Leeds), Azpilicueta (Chelsea)

Midfielders Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Pedri (Barcelona), Thiago (Liverpool), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Ruiz (Napoli), M Llorente (Atletico Madrid)

Forwards: Olmo (RB Leipzig), Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Morata (Juventus), Moreno (Villarreal), F Torres (Manchester City), Traore (Wolves), Sarabia (PSG)

Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

The five pillars of Islam
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA

Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi

Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser

Rating: 4.5/5

Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

 

Where to submit a sample

Volunteers of all ages can submit DNA samples at centres across Abu Dhabi, including: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec), Biogenix Labs in Masdar City, NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City, NMC Royal Medical Centre, Abu Dhabi, NMC Royal Women’s Hospital, Bareen International Hospital, Al Towayya in Al Ain, NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain

More from Neighbourhood Watch
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

The five pillars of Islam
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
History’s medical milestones

1799 – First small pox vaccine administered

1846 – First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery

1861 – Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases

1895 – Discovery of x-rays

1923 – Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time

1928 – Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin

1953 – Structure of DNA discovered

1952 – First organ transplant – a kidney – takes place 

1954 – Clinical trials of birth control pill

1979 – MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.

1998 – The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out

How to vote

Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.

They’ll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi

Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday) 

La Mer lowdown

La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
 

KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Zayed Sustainability Prize
SHADOWS%20AND%20LIGHT%3A%20THE%20EXTRAORDINARY%20LIFE%20OF%20JAMES%20MCBEY

%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Alasdair%20Soussi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20300%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPublisher%3A%20Scotland%20Street%20Press%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAvailable%3A%20December%201%3C%2Fp%3E%0A



Source link

——————————————————–


Click Here For The Original Source.

.........................

National Cyber Security

FREE
VIEW