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
- FBI arrested a Canadian executive at a ransomware negotiation firm in Pennsylvania during a cyber insurance conference.
- The ShinyHunters investigation has been centralized at an FBI field office in Texas, and the case was moved to the Eastern District of Texas.
- Dutch police arrested Pepijn van der Stap last month in connection with the ShinyHunters investigation, and devices seized may lead to further charges.
- Another ShinyHunters member known as Rey, identified as teenager Saif Al-din Khader, was detained and is cooperating with FBI investigators.
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 corporate SaaS 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.