The U.S. Department of Justice announced that Russian LockBit ransomware gang affiliates Ruslan Astamirov and Mikhail Vasiliev have pleaded guilty to their involvement in ransomware attacks, reports The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.
At least a dozen organizations around the world, including the U.S., have been targeted by Astamirov, also known as offtitan, BETTERPAY, and Eastfarmer, in LockBit attacks from 2020 and 2023, resulting in the exfiltration of $1.9 million, while a similar number of organizations had been compromised by Vasiliev, also known as Free, Ghostrider, and Newwave110, between 2021 and 2023, leading to at least $500,000 in damages, according to the Justice Department, which noted that Astamirov and Vasiliev could be imprisoned for up to 25 and 45 years, respectively. Such action comes months after LockBit had its infrastructure dismantled and its affiliates identified following an international law enforcement operation. However, such a disruption has not prevented the group from launching new attacks, with Indiana's Clay County being one of its most recent victims.
