US Accuses Russia of Ransomware Attacks

Teh ​US Department⁣ of‍ Justice​ unsealed an indictment Thursday⁢ against a ‌Russian citizen accused‌ of leading the growth ⁢adn deployment of malicious​ software that infected thousands of computers over more than a decade, according to webangah News Agency.

In a statement,the Justice Department identified the‌ suspect‍ as 48-year-old Rustam Galiyamov ⁤from Moscow,who allegedly led a cybercriminal group‍ behind “Qakbot” malware. The software ⁤could infect computers ‍with other malware like ransomware or convert them into ‍part of a ⁤botnet ‌- networks of compromised devices remotely controlled for further⁢ malicious purposes.

Prosecutors also filed a civil forfeiture‌ complaint seeking to seize ‌over $24 million in digital assets and physical currency confiscated during the examination.

Separately on Thursday,federal prosecutors in Los Angeles ⁤indicted 16 additional individuals‍ tied to “DanaBot” malware,which infected more than 300,000 computers globally and⁣ caused⁢ at least $50 million in ‌damages.