A U.S. court has sentenced Latvian hacker Deniss Zolotarjovs to more than eight years in prison after he was convicted of carrying out ransomware attacks. Prosecutors accused Zolotarjovs and his gang, Karakurt, of targeting U.S. government entities, disrupting emergency dispatch systems and stealing children’s health information.
The Justice Department stated that the gang relied on access to Russian government databases and law enforcement connections to intimidate victims. This revelation further underscores the links between cybercriminal activities and the Russian state.
Security researchers have long accused Russia of shielding ransomware gangs from Western law enforcement, citing it as a top national security challenge for the U.S. Officials have said that Russia has become a 'safe haven' for cybercriminals, including those responsible for ransomware attacks.
The Karakurt gang targeted more than 54 companies, with at least $15 million in ransoms paid by victims. Zolotarjovs was arrested in Georgia and extradited to the U.S. in August 2024 after pleading guilty.
