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US Reveals Charges Against Alleged LockBit Ransomware Developer
The United States government has revealed charges against a dual Russian and Israeli national accused of developing and maintaining the malware code for the notorious LockBit ransomware group. The 51-year-old, identified as Rostislav Panev, was arrested in Israel pending extradition to the US.
According to authorities, Panev worked as a developer for LockBit since its inception in 2019, contributing to hundreds of global ransomware attacks on various entities, including hospitals, businesses, government agencies, and more. The indictment alleges that Panev admitted to writing and maintaining LockBit’s malware code during interviews with Israeli police.
Some of the code allegedly created by Panev includes features such as disabling Windows Defender antivirus software, running malware on multiple computers within a network, and printing LockBit’s ransom note on all printers in a victim’s network. It is claimed that Panev initially did not realize he was involved in illegal activity, but further investigation revealed his involvement with the group.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has linked Panev to LockBit after discovering login credentials for a dark web repository containing “multiple versions of the LockBit builder” on his computer. The builder is the tool used by the ransomware gang to generate custom builds of the malware for specific victims.
This development marks the third member of the LockBit group to be taken into custody. Two other alleged members, Mikhail Vasiliev and Ruslan Magomedovich Astamirov, have already pleaded guilty to various charges related to conspiracy to commit computer fraud. The DOJ is still searching for the group’s ringleader, Dmitry Khoroshev, with a reward of up to $10 million offered for his capture.
The allegations suggest that LockBit received over $500 million in ransom payments between 2019 and 2024, with Khoroshev alone allegedly receiving at least $100 million as a share of the group’s profits.
Source: http://www.theverge.com
