German police have disrupted an international cybercrime gang that has been blackmailing companies and institutions for years, raking in millions of euros. Working with international law enforcement agencies, the police in Duesseldorf identified 11 individuals linked to the group, which is allegedly behind the ransomware, DoppelPaymer. The gang appears to be tied to Evil Corp, a Russia-based syndicate engaged in online bank theft.
DoppelPaymer has been used since late 2019 to target critical industries around the world, including healthcare, emergency services, and education. Britain’s National Health Service and Duesseldorf University Hospital were two of its most prominent victims, with the latter’s hospital hack resulting in the death of a woman due to delayed treatment.
Ransomware is the most disruptive cybercrime in the world. Gangs use malware to scramble data and demand payment for decryption keys, and often steal sensitive information before activating the malware. Europol said victims in the United States have paid out at least 40 million euros to the gang between May 2019 and March 2021.
Dirk Kunze, the head of the cybercrime department with North Rhine-Westphalia state police, said at least 601 victims have been identified worldwide. The group specialized in “big game hunting” and even ran a professional recruitment operation. Three suspects, Igor Turashev, Irina Zemlyanikina, and Igor Garshin, remain at large and are believed to be Russian citizens.
In conclusion, German police have successfully disrupted an international cybercrime gang that has been blackmailing companies and institutions around the world. The gang was allegedly behind the DoppelPaymer ransomware and is connected to the Russia-based Evil Corp syndicate. DoppelPaymer has been used to target critical industries, with victims in the U.S. paying out at least 40 million euros to the gang. Three suspects, all believed to be Russian citizens, remain at large.
Key Points:
• German police disrupted an international cybercrime gang
• The gang is allegedly behind the DoppelPaymer ransomware
• DoppelPaymer has been used to target critical industries around the world
• Victims in the U.S. have paid out at least 40 million euros to the gang
• Three suspects, all believed to be Russian citizens, remain at large