Canada Extradites Suspect in Alleged University Supercomputer Hacks
Summary
Canada extradited Ryan James Roach to the U.S. to face charges over alleged university supercomputer hacks and cryptocurrency mining. A second Canadian defendant, Mathiew James Stubbings, remains subject to ongoing extradition proceedings.
Key points
- Ryan James Roach appeared in U.S. district court on Oct. 28 and remains in custody pending a detention hearing; extradition proceedings for Mathiew James Stubbings are ongoing.
- A recently unsealed indictment alleges the defendants accessed university networks from June 2016 to December 2019 by exploiting vulnerabilities.
- The indictment alleges they stole credentials, exfiltrated data, and used malware and command-and-control connections.
- The defendants allegedly installed cryptocurrency mining software on high-performance computers; investigators said at least one supercomputer mined Electroneum for them.
- The indictment says mining drained enough computing power to make one supercomputer unavailable to its research institution.
- The defendants face three counts, including conspiracy and intentional damage to protected computers; the charges carry a maximum 10-year prison term and $250,000 fine.
Article Details
- Event Type
- U.S. criminal case involving alleged hacking of university supercomputers, credential theft, data exfiltration, and cryptocurrency mining; Canada extradited one of the two accused.
- Impact
- The indictment alleges that the defendants accessed victims' networks, stole credentials, exfiltrated data, and damaged ten or more protected computers. At least one supercomputer allegedly became unavailable to its research institution after being used to mine Electroneum. The indictment alleges aggregate losses of at least $5,000.
MITRE ATT&CK
Threat Actors
Mathiew James StubbingsThe indictment alleges Stubbings participated in hacking university supercomputers, stealing credentials, exfiltrating data, and cryptocurrency mining. His extradition proceedings were reported as ongoing.Ryan James RoachThe indictment alleges Roach participated in hacking university supercomputers, stealing credentials, exfiltrating data, and cryptocurrency mining. He appeared in U.S. district court after being arrested and remained in custody pending a detention hearing.
Countries
Canadauniversity supercomputers, stealing login credentials and mining cryptocurrency for financial gain. Canada extradited one of the suspects to the United States; federal prosecutors still seek custody of the otherUnited StatesTwo Canadian nationals face charges in the United States for hacking university supercomputers, stealing login credentials and mining cryptocurrency for financial gain. Canada extradited one of the suspects to the