Tag Archive for: charged

Latvian national charged with writing malware used by Trickbot hackers

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Written by Sean Lyngaas
Jun 4, 2021 | CYBERSCOOP

U.S. prosecutors have charged a 55-year-old Latvian national with developing computer code used in tandem with the infamous malicious software known as TrickBot, which has defrauded countless people while infecting tens of millions of computers worldwide.

The defendant, known as Alla Witte, was arraigned in a federal court in Cleveland on Friday after being arrested in Miami in February, the Justice Department said. She is accused of being part of a criminal organization that operated in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Suriname, and which infected the computers of hospitals, schools, public utilities and government agencies in the U.S.

Witte wrote “code related to the control, deployment, and payments of ransomware,” the Justice Department said in a press release. She also allegedly provided computer code to other members of the criminal group that tracked users of the TrickBot malware. The malicious code was designed to steal banking login credentials, credit card numbers and other sensitive personal data that can be used for fraud.

Witte is charged with 19 criminal counts, including with conspiracy to commit computer fraud and aggravated identify theft.

TrickBot has been one of the prominent hacking tools for scammers in recent years.

Cybercriminals used the malware to assemble a vast botnet, or army of compromised computers, to infect computers with ransomware. Concerned by the threat of ransomware ahead of the 2020 election, U.S. Cyber Command and tech companies sought to knock some of TrickBot’s infrastructure offline, but the botnet has lived on.

In a statement Friday, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco lauded Witte’s indictment as an example of the “broad reach” of a new Justice Department task force to combat ransomware. After the disruptions of major fuel and meat suppliers, ransomware has vaulted to among the top national security issues facing the Biden administration.

An attorney for Witte could not be immediately reached for comment on Friday. She faces decades in prison if convicted on all charges.

You can read Witte’s full indictment online.

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National Digest: Swiss hacker charged with computer intrusion, identity theft in U.S.

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Federal prosecutors said Thursday that Kottmann, of Lucerne, Switzerland, was initially charged in September. The range of allegations date back to 2019 and involve the alleged theft of credentials and data and publishing source code and proprietary information from more than 100 entities, including companies and government agencies.

Kottmann has described the most recent leak of camera footage taken from customers of California security-camera provider Verkada as part of a “hacktivist” cause of exposing the dangers of mass surveillance. Kottmann, who uses they/them pronouns, told the Associated Press in an online chat last week that they found the credentials needed to enter the site exposed on the open Internet.

Kottmann didn’t return an online request for comment. Swiss lawyer Marcel Bosonnet said he is representing Kottmann but declined further comment Friday.

Swiss authorities said they had raided Kottmann’s home in Lucerne late last week at the request of U.S. authorities. Prosecutors said the FBI recently seized a website domain that Kottmann used to publish hacked data online.

It’s not clear if U.S. prosecutors will to try to extradite Kottmann, who remains in Lucerne and was notified of the pending charges.

Legislature closes after coronavirus outbreak

The Idaho Legislature voted Friday to shut down for several weeks because of a coronavirus outbreak.

Lawmakers in the state House and Senate moved to recess until April 6 with significant unfinished business, including setting budgets and pushing through a huge income tax cut.

At least six of the 70 House members tested positive for the coronavirus in the last week, and there are fears a variant of it is in the Capitol.

“The House has had several positive tests, so it is probably prudent that the House take a step back for a couple weeks until things calm down and it’s not hot around here for covid,” House Majority Leader Mike Moyle said before the votes.

Five of those who tested positive are Republicans and one is Democrat. Another Republican lawmaker is self-isolating. The chamber has a supermajority of 58 Republicans, most of whom rarely or never wear masks. All of the state’s Democratic lawmakers typically…

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Idaho man charged with hacking city’s computer system

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Idaho man charged with hacking city’s computer system

The Newnan Times-Herald

Robert Purbeck of Meridian, Idaho, was charged with the Northern District of Georgia on March 2 for computer fraud and abuse, access device fraud and wire fraud.

An Idaho man is facing several charges relating to a breach of the city of Newnan’s computer system.

Robert Purbeck of Meridian, Idaho, was charged with the Northern District of Georgia on March 2 for computer fraud and abuse, access device fraud and wire fraud.

Purbeck – who made his first appearance before a U.S. magistrate judge in Boise, Idaho – also is accused of hacking into the computer systems of Atlanta-area medical clinics.

“This alleged cyber-criminal and extortionist targeted the city of Newnan as well as medical clinics in our district, stealing over 60,000 records containing personal information of our citizens,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine.

Erskine said Purbeck also allegedly attempted to extort a Florida orthodontist, threatening to sell the Social Security number of his minor child unless the orthodontist submitted to a payment demand.

“The charges against Purbeck highlight the need to remain vigilant in our cybersecurity efforts,” said Chris Hacker, special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta. “The theft of intellectual property to be used to extort citizens is a very serious crime and one the FBI will diligently pursue, no matter if you are hiding behind a computer screen.”

According to court documents, between June 23, 2017 and April 28, 2018, Purbeck allegedly purchased, – on a criminal marketplace – the usernames and passwords to computer servers belonging to multiple Georgia victims. He then allegedly used those credentials to access the victims’ computers, stealing sensitive and personally identifiable information including:

• Medical records and other documents that contained names, addresses, birth dates and social security numbers of over 43,000 people from a Griffin, Georgia, medical clinic;

• Police reports…

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Man charged with breaking into computers in multiple states

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Between June 2017 and April 2018, Purbeck is accused of buying the usernames and passwords to computer servers belonging to multiple Georgia victims and then using that information to access their computer to steal personal information.

Federal prosecutors say Purbeck stole medical records and other documents containing the names, addresses, birthdates and Social Security numbers of more than 43,000 people from a medical clinic in Griffin; the personal information of more than 7,000 people from a medical practice in Locust Grove; and police reports and other documents with personal information of more than 14,000 people from the city of Newnan.

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