Information Technology Security

By Sergiu Gatlan,  Bleeping Computer The US Department of Justice today said that Moises Luis Zagala Gonzalez (Zagala), a 55-year-old cardiologist with French and Venezuelan citizenship residing in Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela, created and rented Jigsaw and Thanos ransomware to cybercriminals. Zagala (aka Nosophoros, Aesculapius, and Nebuchadnezzar) also offered support to cybercriminals who bought the malware and shared profits earned after ransoming victims worldwide. "As alleged, the multi-tasking doctor treated patients, created and named his cyber tool after death, profited from a global ransomware ecosystem in which he sold the tools for conducting ransomware attacks, trained the attackers about how to extort victims, and then boasted about successful attacks, including by malicious actors associated with the government of Iran," said US Attorney Breon Peace. "We allege Zagala not only created and sold ransomware products to hackers, but also trained them in their use...

By Sergiu Gatlan, Bleeping Computer The US Department of State is offering up to $15 million for information that helps identify and locate leadership and co-conspirators of the infamous Conti ransomware gang. Up to $10 million of this reward are offered for info on Conti leaders' identity and location, and an additional $5 million for leading to the arrest and/or convictions of individuals who conspired or attempted to participate in Conti ransomware attacks. According to a statement issued by State Department spokesman Ned Price, Conti has hit more than 1,000 victims who paid over $150 million in ransoms until January 2022.  "The Conti ransomware group has been responsible for hundreds of ransomware incidents over the past two years," Price said Friday . "The FBI estimates that as of January 2022, there had been over 1,000 victims of attacks associated with Conti ransomware with victim payouts exceeding $150,000,000, making the Conti Ransomware variant the costlies...