Two foreign nationals pleaded guilty in Newark federal court regarding their participation in the Lockbit ransomware organization, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed on Thursday. Russian citizen Ruslan Magomedovich Astamirov and Mikhail Vasiliev, a dual citizen of Canada and Russia, were identified as members of the Lockbit group. Active since January 2020, this group has targeted over 2,500 victims across 120 nations, extorting approximately $500 million in ransom payments. Their victims encompassed hospitals, educational institutions, and commercial enterprises. Astamirov and Vasiliev utilized Lockbit ransomware to encrypt and steal data, demanding ransoms and threatening to publish the information if their demands were unmet. Arrested in 2023 and 2022, they could face prison sentences of up to 25 and 45 years, respectively.
