A 24-year-old hacker who was a member of the infamous hacking group Revil has been sentenced to 13 years and seven months in prison in the US. The hacker, whose identity remains unknown, was found guilty of involvement in over 2,500 ransomware attacks that resulted in significant financial losses for victims worldwide.
According to Deputy Attorney General Nicole Argentieri, the hacker and his accomplices targeted thousands of computers globally and encrypted them with ransomware. The hackers would then demand ransom payments of over $700 million and threaten to publish the victims’ data if they did not pay. One of Revil’s most notable attacks was on US software company Kaseya in 2021, which impacted numerous companies in at least 17 countries.
The convicted hacker was arrested in Poland in 2021 as part of a global operation against ransomware attacks. He was extradited to the US in 2022 and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering, as well as damaging protected computers. Russia had announced in January 2022 that they had dismantled Revil at the request of the US.
The cyber attacks carried out by Revil have raised concerns globally about cybersecurity and the increasing threat of ransomware attacks. The impact of such attacks can be substantial, affecting businesses and individuals on a large scale. Governments and organizations are constantly working to strengthen their cybersecurity measures to prevent such attacks in the future.
