Russian Hacker “Wazawaka” Indicted for Ransomware
Summary: The Justice Department unsealed indictments in New Jersey and the District of Columbia against Mikhail Pavolovich Matveev, known as "Wazawaka" and "Boriselcin," alleging he worked with the Babuk, Hive and LockBit ransomware groups that extorted hundreds of millions of dollars from companies, schools, hospitals and government agencies. The indictments allege he deployed LockBit against a Passaic County, New Jersey law enforcement agency on June 25, 2020, conspired with Hive against a Mercer County behavioral healthcare nonprofit on May 27, 2022, and deployed Babuk against the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department on April 26, 2021.
Key Takeaway: The State Department is offering a $10 million reward for his capture, but the source notes he is unlikely to face prosecution as long as he remains in Russia, where he said he had no plans to leave the protection of "Mother Russia."
Read the original at Krebs on Security ↗
- Topics
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