Mark Garlick, Science Photograph Library/Getty
Canada has handed considered one of its former authorities workers over to the US to face costs of digital extortion by ransomware. Upon his arrest, Canadian authorities additionally seized $28 million in cryptocurrencies.
The 34-year-old Sebastien Vachon-Desjardins was introduced from his dwelling in Quebec, Canada to seem in court docket right now in Tampa, Florida. His indictment alleges that he participated within the type of ransomware referred to as NetWalker to commit varied cybercrimes of extortion in 2020, in response to a Division of Justice temporary.
Whereas Vachon-Desjardins’ victims weren’t specified, the hacking collective below the NetWalker identify was linked to hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in ransom schemes, together with wresting $1.1 million from UC San Francisco’s College of Medication and extra from different tutorial establishments in 2020.
Learn extra: A Timeline of the Largest Ransomware Assaults
It isn’t clear how a lot cash Vachon-Desjardins extorted from victims, however Canadian officers executing a search warrant of his dwelling in Quebec seized 719 Bitcoin, valued at roughly $28,151,582 as of right now’s date, and $790,000 in Canadian foreign money, in response to the DOJ temporary. The indictment had alleged that $27 million was traceable to proceeds of his cybercrimes.
