Hackers who attacked the world's leading companies and caused more than UAH 3 billion in losses were detained

Ukrainian law enforcement officers conducted a special operation to to neutralize a group of hackers who had been attacking the world's leading companies. Over several years of activity, the attackers caused more than 3 billion in losses over several years. Three suspects were served have been notified of suspicion. About this. UNN reports with reference to the press service of the National Police.

The attackers attacked the world's most powerful companies France, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, and the United States since 2018. year. As a result of many months of hard work, Ukrainian law enforcement officers with with the assistance of colleagues from the United States, Norway, the Netherlands, Germany and France identified the 32-year-old leader of the hacker group and his four and his four most active accomplices, said Yuriy Vykhodets

Details

The attackers hacked the accounts of employees of leading global companies. Then they distributed malicious program code in the the corporate ecosystem. They accessed servers and stole information from them. information.

After that, the data on the victims' computers was encrypted and became unusable. For the decryption of information, members of the international hacker group group demanded millions of dollars in cryptocurrency for decrypting the information.

In particular, for restoring the servers of one of the of the leading chemical companies in the Netherlands, the attackers ordered to transfer 450 BTC (bitcoins) to a controlled crypto wallet, which is equivalent to 48 million hryvnias.

It was established that over several years of criminal activity, the attackers encrypted more than 1000 servers of global enterprises and caused losses in the amount of of more than UAH 3 billion in terms of national currency

More than 100 police officers arrived in the capital to neutralize the group and analyze more than 20 law enforcement officers from Norway, France, Germany and the Federal Republic of Norway, France, Germany, and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation. On the In the Netherlands, Europol created a special working group and a VCP (Virtual Command Post) to analyze the information obtained during investigative actions on the territory of Ukraine.

Law enforcement officers conducted more than 30 authorized searches in the premises and cars of the defendants in Kyiv region, as well as in Cherkasy, Rivne and Vinnytsia regions. 

Computer equipment, cars, bank and SIM cards, "Kryvyi Rih bank and SIM cards, "draft" records, as well as dozens of electronic media information and other evidence of illegal activity. In particular, almost 4 million hryvnias and UAH and cryptocurrency assets. The issue of seizure of the seized property is being resolved. property.

Supplement

Investigators The Main Investigation Department of the National Police opened criminal proceedings under:

-         ч. 2 Art. 361 (Unauthorized interference with the operation of information (automated), electronic communication, information and communication systems, electronic communication networks),

-         ч. 2 Art. 361-1 (Creation for the purpose of unlawful use, distribution or sale of malicious software or hardware, as well as their distribution or sale),

-         ч. 4 Art. 189 (Extortion) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Three offenders were served a notice of of suspicion.

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