Security News > 2022 > April > Feds offer big rewards for info on suspected Russian Sandworm intel officers

Uncle Sam will dole out up to $10 million for vital information on each of six Russian GRU officers linked to the Kremlin-backed Sandworm gang, who, according to the Feds, have plotted to carry out destructive cyber-attacks against American critical infrastructure.

It's hoped the money, offered via the US Department of State's Rewards for Justice program, will lead to the snaring of the following men said to be Russian intelligence officers: Yuriy Sergeyevich Andrienko, Sergey Vladimirovich Detistov, Pavel Valeryevich Frolov, Anatoliy Sergeyevich Kovalev, Artem Valeryevich Ochichenko, and Petr Nikolayevich Pliskin.

According to the US government, these are all members of the GRU's Unit 74455, also known as Sandworm, and they "Deployed destructive malware and took other disruptive actions for the strategic benefit of Russia through unauthorized access to victim computers," according to the State Department.

All six officers have been charged with conspiracy to conduct computer fraud and abuse, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, damaging protected computers, and aggravated identity theft offenses.

Ochichenko conducted technical reconnaissance and helped carry out these spear phishing campaigns against critical infrastructure owners and operators, it is claimed.

In early April the US Justice Department revealed details of a court-authorized take-down of command-and-control systems that the gang used to direct network devices infected by its Cyclops Blink malware.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2022/04/27/feds_10m_reward_sandworm/