German and Ukrainian police invaded the houses of individuals associated with a prominent cybercrime group that has stolen millions from large companies and organizations over several years. Authorities last month teamed up with Europol and the FBI to investigate the homes of members of the hacking group, which often goes by the names Indrik Spider, Double Spider and Grief.
The cybercriminal group proliferates ransomware via emails containing documents containing malicious code, allowing them to access a target’s systems once downloaded. It then threatens to leak sensitive company data unless paid. Europol estimates that victims of the cybercrime group’s attacks in the US paid at least €40 million (~$42.7 million USD) between May 2019 and March 2021, while German authorities counted 601 victims in total.
Three Russian nationals associated with the group are still at large
On February 28, German and Ukrainian police simultaneously raided the homes of two suspected members. However, Daniela Dässel, a spokesperson for the German state police of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), says The edge that the authorities have not yet made any arrests and that the suspects have been released after questioning.
Meanwhile, three Russian individuals associated with the group are still wanted by international authorities. Both Germany and Ukraine are currently analyzing the seized evidence to locate other group members and determine their roles.
“Perpetrators can rest assured that the fight against this crime does not stop at the border, but takes place across borders,” said Ingo Wünsch, the director of the German criminal investigation department, in an automatically translated statement. “Companies, institutions and governments must protect their digital world.”
Janice has been with businesskinda for 5 years, writing copy for client websites, blog posts, EDMs and other mediums to engage readers and encourage action. By collaborating with clients, our SEO manager and the wider businesskinda team, Janice seeks to understand an audience before creating memorable, persuasive copy.