Mar 22, 2025, 05:00 PM
The U.S. Department of Justice has announced that Rostislav Panev, a 51-year-old Russian-Israeli citizen, has been extradited from Israel to the United States. Panev is accused of developing the LockBit ransomware between June 2022 and February 2024, during which he allegedly earned around $10,000 per month in cryptocurrency, totaling over $230,000.
Authorities state that Panev admitted to coding, development, and consulting work for the LockBit group. His tasks included creating code to disable security software, spread the malware within networks, and print ransom notes on victims’ printers.
LockBit is responsible for over 2,500 attacks across 120 countries, extorting at least $500 million from victims. The U.S. has indicted seven individuals connected to the operation, with some already in custody while others, like Russian national Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev, remain at large. Rewards of up to $10 million are being offered for information leading to their capture.
Source : https://www.securityweek.com/lockbit-ran...ted-to-us/
Authorities state that Panev admitted to coding, development, and consulting work for the LockBit group. His tasks included creating code to disable security software, spread the malware within networks, and print ransom notes on victims’ printers.
LockBit is responsible for over 2,500 attacks across 120 countries, extorting at least $500 million from victims. The U.S. has indicted seven individuals connected to the operation, with some already in custody while others, like Russian national Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev, remain at large. Rewards of up to $10 million are being offered for information leading to their capture.
Source : https://www.securityweek.com/lockbit-ran...ted-to-us/