Prosecutor General of Ukraine Ruslan Kravchenko reported that a transnational hacker group had been exposed as part of an international cyber operation carried out jointly with partners from the United States and Germany.
According to him, the attackers blocked the systems of at least 11 US corporations and demanded a ransom in cryptocurrency in exchange for restoring access. The confirmed damage so far amounts to about $1.5 million.
The group consisted of more than 20 people, seven of whom were located in Ukraine. Each member had a specific role, ranging from password hacking and coding to negotiating with victims and cashing out the proceeds.
One of the suspects, Kravchenko said, is also linked to another crime — the distribution of the BlackBasta malware, which is being investigated by German law enforcement authorities.
Together with criminal police commissioners from Germany, Ukrainian law enforcement officers carried out searches at the premises of two Ukrainian citizens. During the investigative actions, computer equipment, mobile phones, handwritten notes and cash were seized.
The analysis of the seized materials is ongoing. Once it is completed, a decision will be made on whether to formally notify the suspects. Kravchenko stressed that cybercrime has no borders, and the response to it will be transcontinental, systematic and inevitable.