LockBit ransomware mastermind indicted | MSSP warning

The alleged boss of the infamous LockBit hacking syndicate has been accused by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) of orchestrating thousands of cybercrimes worldwide that netted the crew hundreds of millions of dollars.

Dimitry Yuryevich Khoroshev (aka LockbitSupp), a Russian citizen, was charged by a federal grand jury for the District of New Jersey with creating, developing and managing what is widely considered to be one of the most prolific cyber attackers in the world.

A total of 26 charges were filed against Khoroshev, including conspiracy to defraud, wire fraud and extortion. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 185 years in prison. Each of the 26 counts also carries a maximum fine of approximately $250,000.

The U.S. State Department is offering a reward of up to $10 million through the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP) for “information leading to the arrest and/or conviction” of Khoroshev for “participation, conspiracy, or attempted involvement.” leading in cross-border organized cybercrime as the leader of the LockBit ransomware group.”

2,500 ransomware attacks worldwide

Khoroshev’s reign is expected to last from 2019 to May 2024, a period during which the hacking crew was allegedly responsible for 1,800 attacks in the United States and 2,500 worldwide, according to the U.S. Treasury Department.

Since January 2020, partners using LockBit have attacked “individuals, small businesses, multinational corporations, hospitals, schools, nonprofit organizations, critical infrastructure, and government and law enforcement agencies,” the Justice Department said.

Those attacks netted victims at least $500 million in ransom payments, with at least $100 million of that going to Khoroshev personally, the agency said.

“Khoroshev and his co-conspirators made LockBit at times the most active and destructive ransomware variant in the world,” the Justice Department said.

Khoroshev allegedly developed the ransomware-as-a-service model, provided the design of the LockBit ransomware code, recruited partners, and maintained the LockBit online software dashboard to provide partners with the tools to deploy LockBit . Khoroshev also maintained the data leak website LockBit to blackmail victims by publishing their stolen data if they refused to pay a ransom.

The charges against Khoroshev follow a recent lawsuit against LockBit in February 2024 by the Cyber ​​Division of the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), the Ministry of Justice, the FBI and other international law enforcement agencies. Authorities seized publicly accessible websites that LockBit used to connect to the organization’s infrastructure and took control of servers used by LockBit administrators, officials said.

The list of LockBit suspects is growing

Six LockBit members have now been charged with the following:

Astamirov is currently in custody awaiting trial. Matveev is the subject of a reward of up to $10 million under the TOCRP. Vasiliev is in custody in Canada awaiting extradition to the United States