Russian Charged With Laundering Ransomware Proceeds in Crypto Pleads Guilty in US

A Russian national accused of processing cryptocurrency payments from ransomware attacks has pleaded guilty to money laundering in the United States. The man who was extradited from the Netherlands in mid-August, last year, will be sentenced in April. Russian Crypto Launderer Pleads Guilty in US Court, May Get Up to 20 Years in Prison An … Read more

Hive Ransomware Network Dismantled by American, European Law Enforcement

Law enforcement authorities from over a dozen countries in Europe and North America have taken part in disrupting the activities of the Hive ransomware group, the U.S. Justice Department and Europol announced. Hive is believed to have targeted various organizations worldwide in the past couple of years, often extorting payments in cryptocurrency. Captured Decryption Keys … Read more

Bitzlato Executives Arrested in Europe, Exchange Laundered €1 Billion, Europol Says

European law enforcement authorities have detained four more members of the executive team of crypto exchange Bitzlato, Europol announced. According to the police agency, nearly half of the funds processed through the platform were associated with various criminal activities. Bitzlato Senior Management Targeted in Europe, Exchange Infrastructure Dismantled High-ranking executives of the recently busted Bitzlato … Read more

Ransomware Revenue Drops as Victims Pay Less Often, Chainalysis Reports

While the number of ransomware hits may not have decreased significantly, the revenue from such attacks has fallen sharply last year, according to Chainalysis. The blockchain forensics firm believes that to a large extent the trend can be attributed to more of the targeted organizations refusing to pay the perpetrators. Chainalysis Registers Significant Decline in … Read more

Hackers Hit Romanian Hospital, Demand Bitcoin Ransom

A hospital in Romania has been targeted in a ransomware attack with the perpetrators seeking payment in cryptocurrency to decrypt its database. The hack prevents the medical institution from reporting to the country’s health insurance fund in order to receive due funding. Botoşani Hospital Blackmailed for Bitcoin, Romanian Media Reports The Saint Gheorghe Recovery Hospital … Read more