CriticalRansomware
FBI Arrests Executive at Ransomware Negotiation Firm
Krebs on Security·Source published ·1 min read
What happened?
Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Thursday arrested an executive at a Canadian cybersecurity firm in connection with an investigation into the ShinyHunters hacking group that recently relieved the FBI of sensitive data on thousands of agents, multiple sources tell KrebsOnSecurity. The New York Times reported today that the FBI has arrested a Canadian man in Pennsylvania on suspicion of assisting ShinyHunters. The Times story did not identify the man, nor did a statement on Twitter/X about the arrest from FBI Director Kash Patel.
Key details
- Court records show Edward Dubrovsky was arrested October 8 and charged with conspiracy to threaten to impair confidentiality to extort money.
- The case has been moved to the Eastern District of Texas, which is now the center of the FBI's ShinyHunters investigation.
- ShinyHunters has extorted over $70 million from victims this year using phishing and stolen credentials.
- Dutch police arrested Pepijn van der Stap last month in connection with the ShinyHunters investigation.
Affected
- Cypfer, a Canadian security company and major sponsor of the Cyber Risk Summit.
- CyberSteward, another Canadian security firm associated with Edward Dubrovsky.
What to look for
- Phishing and stolen credentials used to access SaaS corporate accounts.
- Threats to publish stolen data unless ransom is paid.
Summarised by SecOraLens from Krebs on Security. Always read the original source before acting. How SecOraLens verifies advisories.