Russian hacker sentenced to nearly 7 years for enabling U.S. ransomware attacks

A federal court in Indianapolis sentenced a Russian national Monday to nearly seven years in prison for hacking into U.S. companies and enabling ransomware attacks, the Justice Department announced.

Aleksei Volkov, 26, of St. Petersburg, Russia, was sentenced to 81 months in prison in the Southern District of Indiana. Prosecutors said Volkov operated as an “initial access broker,” infiltrating corporate networks and selling that access to other cybercriminals, including ransomware operators.

Prosecutors said his activities facilitated dozens of ransomware attacks across the United States, resulting in more than $9 million in confirmed losses and over $24 million in intended losses, according to the Justice Department.

Prosecutors said he assisted ransomware groups including the Yanluowang gang. According to court documents, once access was obtained, co-conspirators deployed malware that encrypted data and restricted access to computer systems, then demanded cryptocurrency payments in exchange for restoring access and not publicly releasing stolen data. In some cases, when victims did not pay, stolen information was posted on so-called “leak” websites.

Volkov was arrested in Italy and later extradited to the United States. He was indicted in both the Southern District of Indiana and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, with the cases later consolidated. He pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to computer fraud, identity theft, and money laundering.

As part of his plea agreement, Volkov agreed to pay at least $9,167,198.19 in restitution to victims and to forfeit equipment used in the offenses.