RUSSIAN NATIONAL PLEADS GUILTY TO BREAKING INTO NETWORKS FOR YANLUOWANG RANSOMWARE ATTACKS

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Aleksei Olegovich Volkov (aka "chubaka.kor") pleaded guilty to serving as an initial access broker for Yanluowang ransomware, attacking seven US businesses between July 2021 and November 2022, with total ransom demands reaching $24 million. FBI blockchain analysis traced cryptocurrency payments to accounts owned by Volkov and a co-conspirator in Indianapolis, confirming his identity and communications about attack coordination and profit-sharing. Volkov faces up to 53 years in prison and must pay $9.2 million in restitution. Victims experienced operational shutdowns, data encryption, executive harassment calls, and DDoS attacks following initial compromise through vulnerability exploitation.