A Canadian cybersecurity executive who specializes in negotiating with ransomware groups has been arrested in the United States and faces extortion-related charges, according to court documents, prison records and a person familiar with the matter, as the FBI intensifies its crackdown on the hacking group ShinyHunters.
Edward Dubrovsky faces charges of conspiracy to threaten the confidentiality of information with the intent to extort money and interference with commerce, according to court documents filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Reuters reported.
Some court records are partially sealed and contain different spellings of his surname, including “Dobrovsky” and “Dobrosky.” The documents do not specify his age, profession or employer. A person briefed on the matter identified the defendant as Canadian cybersecurity executive Edward Dubrovsky.
Federal prosecutors in Philadelphia did not respond to repeated requests for comment on the discrepancies. Attempts to reach Dubrovsky, his attorneys and CyberSteward, the company listed on his LinkedIn profile, were unsuccessful.
CyberSteward describes its services as including engagement with threat actors, cyber-extortion cases, complex negotiations and settlement facilitation. On LinkedIn, Dubrovsky presents himself as a specialist in negotiating ransom payments with cybercriminals.
Records from a digital wallet leaked in 2010 and preserved by dark-web intelligence firm District 4 Labs identify Dubrovsky as a resident of Richmond Hill, north of Toronto, and indicate that he is 54. US federal prison records show that a 54-year-old man named Edward Dubrovsky is being held at a federal detention centre in Philadelphia.
The arrest comes amid a global investigation led by the FBI into ShinyHunters, a hacking group that claimed last month to have stolen information relating to nearly every FBI employee.
When Reuters asked the FBI about Dubrovsky’s arrest, the agency referred it to a statement by FBI Director Kash Patel on Friday. Patel said the bureau had arrested a “suspected co-conspirator of the ShinyHunters group” but declined to provide further details.
Dubrovsky’s arrest was previously reported by Politico and independent journalist Brian Krebs. The charges against him have not been established in court.
News.Az
By Aysel Mammadzada
