The U.S. has unsealed charges against prolific Belarusian-Ukrainian cybercrime actor Maksim Silnikau, also known as J.P. Morgan, lansky, and xxx, following his arrest and extradition from Poland in relation to his involvement in several cybercriminal operations since 2011, according to The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.
Aside from spearheading the first-ever ransomware-as-a-service operation Reveton along with co-conspirators also charged in the U.S. in 2011, which enabled monthly extortion revenues of about $400,000 between 2012 and 2014, Silnikau also led the Angler exploit kit, which had been leveraged in malvertising campaigns against U.S.-based firms, the indictment revealed. Another ransomware payload dubbed "Ransom Cartel," which was leveraged in an attack against a California-based company, was also allegedly headed by Silnikau. "For over a decade, the defendant used a host of online disguises and a network of fraudulent ad campaigns to spread ransomware and scam U.S. businesses and consumers," noted U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco.
