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German investigators have reportedly recognized a Russian man named Nikolay Ok. whom they consider to be considered one of REvil ransomware gang’s core members, probably the most infamous and profitable ransomware teams lately.
The person is presenting himself as a cryptocurrency investor and dealer, however the German authorities who been following him for months assume in any other case after monitoring a number of the Bitcoin funds he made over time.
As reported by German media, the investigators have been capable of hyperlink Bitcoin funds with ransoms paid to the GandCrab ransomware group, following assaults towards a software program developer and the State Theater in Stuttgart.
The identical sources declare that the investigators have discovered robust hyperlinks between REvil and GandCrab, one thing that has been urged quite a few instances by safety researchers and analysts.
Nikolay Ok. didn’t maintain again when it got here to boasting on social media and showcasing his holidays on the Mediterranean, posting photographs from lavish yacht events.
However he wasn’t cautious sufficient when it got here to hiding his true identification, falsely assuming that masking his hyperlinks to ransomware operations with crypto-investment can be sufficient.
Tracked down utilizing an electronic mail deal with
Because the experiences element, the police have been capable of finding Nikolay’s electronic mail deal with, which he used to register to over 60 web sites, in addition to a telephone quantity that he used for his Telegram account.
That account was supposedly used for legit crypto-trading, however the police have been reportedly capable of hyperlink a number of transactions price over 400,000 Euros in crypto to ransom fee occasions.
For the reason that crackdown on REvil’s infrastructure, from two weeks in the past, the group’s members have been additional cautious, however it seems that Nikolay was unaware of how shut the investigators actually have been to arrest him.
This summer time, Nikolay’s spouse traveled for holidays alone, whereas the ransomware actors stayed in Russia, probably to keep away from any surprising arrests whereas on international grounds.
Neither the Federal Prison Police Workplace of Baden-Württemberg nor the Stuttgart public prosecutor’s workplace have supplied a touch upon whether or not they have issued an extradition request to Russia but, so we’re nonetheless ready for an official affirmation on the above.
Contemplating the scale that the ransomware risk has taken on the highest political degree, it will be a shock to see the Russians denying the prosecution of Nikolay.
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