CyberScoop reports that Ukrainian Artem Aleksandrovych Stryzhak admitted guilt to several charges related to his involvement in a ransomware attack spree aimed at organizations in the U.S. and Europe between mid-2018 and late 2021.
According to authorities, Stryzhak relied on Nefilim ransomware to breach the networks of profitable businesses, stealing confidential information and coercing victims by threatening to make it public. Prosecutors said he collaborated with others to customize ransomware files for every target, creating distinct ransom notes and decryption keys that contributed to millions of dollars' worth of damages through extortion payments and system damage. After gaining access to company networks, the group researched each victims net worth and contact details, focusing largely on businesses in the United States, Australia, and Canada with annual revenue exceeding $100 million.
Stryzhak faces a 10-year prison sentence for conspiring to commit fraud, including extortion. Authorities offered an $11 million reward for information that leads to the arrest or conviction of Volodymyr Tymoshchuk, Stryzhak's suspected co-conspirator.
According to authorities, Stryzhak relied on Nefilim ransomware to breach the networks of profitable businesses, stealing confidential information and coercing victims by threatening to make it public. Prosecutors said he collaborated with others to customize ransomware files for every target, creating distinct ransom notes and decryption keys that contributed to millions of dollars' worth of damages through extortion payments and system damage. After gaining access to company networks, the group researched each victims net worth and contact details, focusing largely on businesses in the United States, Australia, and Canada with annual revenue exceeding $100 million.
Stryzhak faces a 10-year prison sentence for conspiring to commit fraud, including extortion. Authorities offered an $11 million reward for information that leads to the arrest or conviction of Volodymyr Tymoshchuk, Stryzhak's suspected co-conspirator.
