A teenager, aged 17 from Walsall, has been apprehended by authorities in the United Kingdom for his alleged involvement with Scattered Spider – a well-known cybercrime organization.
West Midlands police announced that the arrest was linked to a worldwide cybercriminal organization, which specifically targets prominent corporations using ransomware and infiltrating computer networks.
This apprehension is part of an ongoing international inquiry into this extensive hacking group’s operations, including its attacks against notable companies such as MGM Resorts based in America.
Working in tandem with the UK National Crime Agency (NCA) and US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), authorities arrested a teenager who belonged to an e-crime syndicate, approximately one month following another member’s detainment in Spain.
After branching off from The Com, Scattered Spider transformed into a primary gateway and affiliate by distributing BlackCat, Qilin, and RansomHub ransomware families. A fresh inquiry conducted by Mandiant under Google’s wing uncovered that these attackers have now veered towards data theft via encryptionless threats targeted at software-as-a-service (SaaS) programs.
March
As reported by the DoJ, Scott Raul Esparza from Texas has been sentenced to nine months in prison for operating a DDoS attack tool called Astrostress between 2019 and 2022. He will also have to serve two years of supervised release upon his release. In March, he pleaded guilty to the charges against him.
“According to the Department of Justice, Astrostress.com provided customers with different subscription options based on the number and strength of attacks they wanted to carry out. Customers were charged accordingly. This website facilitated global co-conspirators in creating accounts and using its resources for launching computer-based assaults across various internet-connected devices worldwide.”
According to reports, Esparza was responsible for obtaining the attack servers and managing them while allegedly working with a 21-year-old named Shamar Shattock from Florida. In March of 2023, after admitting guilt, Shattock could receive a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
This event occurred after the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Yuliya Vladimirovna Pankratova and Denis Olegovich Degtyarenko, who belong to the CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn (CARR). CARR is a hacktivist group associated with Sandworm (also known as APT44), which operates from Russia and has been responsible for various cyber attacks aimed at disabling vital infrastructure within their own country.
It is believed that Pankratova, also known as Yuliya, acts as the leader and spokesperson of CARR. Meanwhile, Degtyarenko – or Dena – serves as the primary hacker for the group and has allegedly played a key role in compromising an unnamed U.S. energy company’s Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system.
According to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)
“within the department, CARR has manipulated industrial control system equipment at water supply, hydroelectric, wastewater and energy facilities across both Europe and America through a range of unsophisticated techniques.”
The rate of cyber crime by kids and adult is alarming, it has become a menace in the society. Everybody wanna get rich without the hardwork.