CyberCrime - W/E - 11/22/19
Operator of Illegal Booter Services that Caused DDoS Attacks Receives Prison Term (11/19/2019)
The Justice Department (DOJ) announced that Sergiy P. Usatyuk of Orland Park, IL has been sentenced to 13 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release on one count of conspiracy to cause damage to Internet-connected computers for his role in owning, administering, and supporting illegal booter services that launched millions of illegal distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against victim computer systems in the United States and elsewhere. According to the criminal information, Usatyuk combined with a co-conspirator to develop, control, and operate a number of booter services and booter-related Web sites from around August 2015 through November 2017 that launched millions of DDoS attacks that disrupted the Internet connections of targeted victim computers, rendered targeted Web sites slow or inaccessible, and interrupted normal business operations.
The Justice Department (DOJ) announced that Sergiy P. Usatyuk of Orland Park, IL has been sentenced to 13 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release on one count of conspiracy to cause damage to Internet-connected computers for his role in owning, administering, and supporting illegal booter services that launched millions of illegal distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against victim computer systems in the United States and elsewhere. According to the criminal information, Usatyuk combined with a co-conspirator to develop, control, and operate a number of booter services and booter-related Web sites from around August 2015 through November 2017 that launched millions of DDoS attacks that disrupted the Internet connections of targeted victim computers, rendered targeted Web sites slow or inaccessible, and interrupted normal business operations.
Ransomware Attack Hits Louisiana State Government (11/19/2019)
Louisiana's state government was crippled by a ransomware attack that affected the Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV), the Department of Health, and the Department of Transportion and Development. The attack began on November 18 and resulted in the shuttering of various state Web sites. Some services were shutdown as a precautionary measure. According to Fox 8 News, business at all 79 OMV locations came to a halt. An official said that ransomware was to blame but that the state had not paid the ransom nor did it appear that any key data had been locked. Governor John Bel Edwards tweeted that he had mobilized the state's cybersecurity team to help disrupt the attack.
Louisiana's state government was crippled by a ransomware attack that affected the Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV), the Department of Health, and the Department of Transportion and Development. The attack began on November 18 and resulted in the shuttering of various state Web sites. Some services were shutdown as a precautionary measure. According to Fox 8 News, business at all 79 OMV locations came to a halt. An official said that ransomware was to blame but that the state had not paid the ransom nor did it appear that any key data had been locked. Governor John Bel Edwards tweeted that he had mobilized the state's cybersecurity team to help disrupt the attack.
Veterinary Hospital Company Targeted in Ryuk Ransomware Attack (11/19/2019)
Security researcher Brian Krebs learned that National Veterinary Associates (NVA), a company that owns over 700 animal care facilities around the globe, has been victimized by a ransomware attack that affected more than half of its practices. Although NVA declined to comment on the malware or whether it had paid the ransom, KrebsOnSecurity learned that the incident was discovered on October 27 and that two forensic firms were hired to investigate. An anonymous source told Krebs that the Ryuk ransomware was to blame and that an earlier ransomware attack, which occurred a few months prior, had also involved Ryuk. Approximately 400 NVA locations have been affected.
Security researcher Brian Krebs learned that National Veterinary Associates (NVA), a company that owns over 700 animal care facilities around the globe, has been victimized by a ransomware attack that affected more than half of its practices. Although NVA declined to comment on the malware or whether it had paid the ransom, KrebsOnSecurity learned that the incident was discovered on October 27 and that two forensic firms were hired to investigate. An anonymous source told Krebs that the Ryuk ransomware was to blame and that an earlier ransomware attack, which occurred a few months prior, had also involved Ryuk. Approximately 400 NVA locations have been affected.