Russian Initial Access Broker Sentenced to 81 Months for Enabling Ransomware Attacks
Summary
Aleksei Volkov was sentenced to 81 months in U.S. prison after pleading guilty to selling unauthorized network access used in dozens of ransomware attacks. The article attributes over $9 million in actual losses and more than $24 million in intended losses to the cases.
Key points
- Volkov sold unauthorized access to computer networks to cybercriminals as an initial access broker.
- The article says he facilitated dozens of ransomware attacks in the United States, causing over $9 million in actual losses and more than $24 million in intended losses.
- His customers included the Yanluowang ransomware group.
- Volkov was arrested in Italy in January 2024, extradited to the United States, and pleaded guilty to charges including aggravated identity theft and access device fraud.
- He received an 81-month prison sentence, two years of supervised probation, and agreed to pay $9,167,198.19 in restitution to known victims.
Article Details
- Event Type
- Criminal sentencing of an initial access broker
- Impact
- Aleksei Volkov was sentenced to 81 months in prison and two years of supervised probation after pleading guilty to charges including aggravated identity theft and access device fraud. He agreed to pay $9,167,198.19 in restitution. His sale of unauthorized network access facilitated dozens of ransomware attacks against U.S. organizations, causing more than $9 million in actual losses and more than $24 million in intended losses.
Threat Actors
Aleksei VolkovIdentified as an initial access broker who sold unauthorized network access to cybercriminals, facilitating dozens of ransomware attacks. He pleaded guilty to charges including aggravated identity theft and access device fraud and was sentenced to 81 months in prison.YanluowangRansomware group that received access supplied by Volkov. The article says the group previously claimed responsibility for a 2022 intrusion into Cisco’s corporate network.
Countries
ItalyVolkov was arrested in Italy after a Bitcoin transaction linked him to the crimes and was extradited to the U.S.RussiaPetersburg, Russia, was sentenced in the Southern District of Indiana for assisting major cybercrime groups, including the Yanluowang ransomware group, in carrying out numerous attacks against U.S.United StatesAleksei Volkov, a 26-year-old Russian national, was sentenced to 81 months in prison for acting as an initial access broker who sold stolen network credentials that enabled numerous ransomware attacks against U.S.