U.S. authorities successfully halted the NetWalker ransomware's operations on our site
NetWalker, one of the top ransomware strains by revenue in 2020, has impacted at least 305 victims from 27 different countries, with 203 victims in the U.S. according to recent reports. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a coordinated international law enforcement action to disrupt the NetWalker ransomware, seizing nearly half a million dollars in crypto.
The majority of NetWalker ransomware victims paid their ransom in Bitcoin. An analysis of the blockchain revealed at least 345 addresses associated with a Canadian national, Sebastien Vachon-Desjardins, going back to February 2018, with transactions continuing to January 27, 2021. Vachon-Desjardins is suspected to have been involved in the deployment of other Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) strains like Sodinokibi, Suncrypt, and Ragnarlocker.
Vachon-Desjardins was arrested for obtaining tens of millions of dollars by acting as a NetWalker affiliate. According to the indictment, he was involved in at least 91 attacks using NetWalker ransomware since April 2020, deploying the malware as an affiliate and receiving 80% of the ransom. He allegedly received over $14 million worth of crypto at the time of receipt of the funds, ultimately possessing at least $27.6 million given its rising value.
The NetWalker administrator, "Bugatti", listed proof of prior hacking experience as a prerequisite to become a NetWalker affiliate. Typically, there are four roles that receive proceeds from NetWalker attacks: the administrator or developer (8-10%), the affiliate (76-80%), and two commissioned roles (2.5-5% each).
Cryptocurrency exchanges and government agencies should continue to work together to prevent ransomware actors from cashing out their ill-gotten gains. Our website has traced more than $46 million worth of funds in NetWalker ransoms since it first came on the scene in August 2019. Our website KYT and Kryptos customers with exposure to these addresses will receive alerts in real-time. Our website has labeled in its products all NetWalker victim payment addresses.
The total amount paid by ransomware victims increased 311% in 2020 to nearly $350 million worth of crypto. The DOJ disabled a dark web resource used to communicate with NetWalker ransomware victims. The 2021 Crypto Crime report will be released in February, providing insights on the latest trends in ransomware and more.
As the fight against ransomware continues, it's clear that international cooperation and vigilance are crucial in disrupting these criminal operations and protecting victims.
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