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US agencies have launched a broad mix of sanctions and indictments against a prolific ransomware developer.
Russian national Mikhail Matveev is the target of the charges and has been a part of the development of a number of ransomware variants, including Hive, LockBit, and Babuk. Matveev has been very vocal about his ransomware exploits, going so far as to boast about stealing data from a major US police department, among other victims.
Matveev has also conducted interviews about his criminal activities and claimed that his crimes are tolerated by authorities as long as he maintains loyalty to Russia.
The Department of Justice has charged Matveev with “conspiring to transmit ransom demands, conspiring to damage protected computers, and intentionally damaging protected computers”, while the Treasury Department has listed Matveev under the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) list.
The sanctions mean that no US-based individual may have any dealings with Matveev (under pain of being designated themselves), while any assets Matveev may possess in the US must be reported to the Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The DOJ charges, however, could lead to a prison sentence in excess of 20 years.
In addition, the DOJ has posted a reward of up to US$10 million for anyone providing information that leads to an arrest or conviction.
“The United States will not tolerate ransomware attacks against our people and our institutions,” said Brian E. Nelson, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, in an announcement. “Ransomware actors like Matveev will be held accountable for their crimes, and we will continue to use all available authorities and tools to defend against cyber threats.”
The DOJ and FBI are similarly vocal about their hopeful prosecution of Matveev.
“From his home base in Russia, Matveev allegedly used multiple ransomware variants to attack critical infrastructure around the world, including hospitals, government agencies, and victims in other sectors,” said Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., Assistant Attorney-General of the Justice Department’s criminal division. “These international crimes demand a coordinated response. We will not relent in imposing consequences on the most egregious actors in the cyber crime ecosystem.”
“The FBI is steadfast in our commitment to disrupting cyber criminals like Matveev,” said Bryan Vorndran, assistant director of the FBI’s cyber division. “The FBI will continue to impose costs on cyber adversaries through our joint collaboration with our private sector and international partners, and we will not tolerate these criminal acts against American citizens.”
Matveev himself was interviewed by The Record in August 2023, and when asked who he feared more — the Russian FSB or the DOJ — he had this to say: “What worries me the most? If these two structures start cooperating with each other — then I’ll get fucked up, with at least three life sentences.”
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
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