Ryuk Ransomware Operator Sentenced to Two Years in Prison
Summary
Karen Vardanyan was sentenced to two years in prison for his role in Ryuk ransomware attacks in 2019–2020. He pleaded guilty, and the sentence includes about $1.2 million in restitution to victims.
Key points
- Vardanyan, an Armenian national, was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay about $1.2 million in restitution.
- He was extradited from Ukraine and pleaded guilty to computer fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud and extortion.
- Victims included a Michigan company, an Oregon technology company and a Texas school.
- Prosecutors said the group deployed Ryuk on hundreds of compromised servers and workstations between March 2019 and September 2020.
- Justice Department officials said Vardanyan and his co-conspirators received about 1,160 bitcoins in ransom payments, valued at more than $15 million at the time.
- His sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release; the article says his conviction will also have immigration consequences.
Article Details
- Event Type
- Criminal sentencing for involvement in Ryuk ransomware attacks
- Impact
- Karen Vardanyan was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay about $1.2 million in restitution. Prosecutors said the group deployed Ryuk on hundreds of compromised systems from 2019 to 2020 and received about 1,160 bitcoins in ransom payments, valued at more than $15 million at the time.
MITRE ATT&CK
People
Andrii Leonydovich PrykhodchenkoUkrainian national whom prosecutors accused of participating in the Ryuk ransomware scheme.Karen VardanyanPleaded guilty to computer fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud and extortion; sentenced for his role in Ryuk attacks.Levon Georgiyovych AvetisyanArmenian national whom prosecutors accused of participating in the Ryuk ransomware scheme.Oleg Nikolayevich LyulyavaUkrainian national whom prosecutors accused of participating in the Ryuk ransomware scheme.
Threat Actors
Andrii Leonydovich PrykhodchenkoProsecutors accused him of illegally accessing computer networks and participating in the Ryuk ransomware scheme.Karen VardanyanPleaded guilty to fraud-related charges for his role in Ryuk ransomware attacks.Levon Georgiyovych AvetisyanProsecutors accused him of illegally accessing computer networks and participating in the Ryuk ransomware scheme.Oleg Nikolayevich LyulyavaProsecutors accused him of illegally accessing computer networks and participating in the Ryuk ransomware scheme.
Malware
Countries
RussiaA 35-year-old Armenian national, Karen Vardanyan, was sentenced to two years in prison for helping carry out Ryuk ransomware attacks from Ukraine and Russia in 2019 and 2020.UkraineA 35-year-old Armenian national, Karen Vardanyan, was sentenced to two years in prison for helping carry out Ryuk ransomware attacks from Ukraine and Russia in 2019 and 2020.United StatesThe case involved multiple victims across the United States, including a Michigan company, a Texas school, and other organizations, and resulted in about $1.2 million in restitution.