Russian Sentenced to 81 Months for Ransomware Access Brokering

A federal court in Indiana has sentenced Aleksei Volkov, a 26-year-old Russian national from St. Petersburg, to 81 months in prison for his role as an initial access broker in ransomware attacks that targeted U.S. organizations and caused more than $9 million in actual losses.

Volkov pleaded guilty last November to multiple charges, including access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to commit computer fraud, and money laundering. The cases, originally filed in federal courts in Indiana and Pennsylvania, were consolidated in Indiana's Southern District. As part of his plea agreement, Volkov must pay at least $9.17 million in restitution to known victims and forfeit equipment used in the crimes. He will also serve two years of supervised release following his prison term.

Prosecutors described Volkov as a key enabler in the ransomware ecosystem. Between July 2021 and November 2022, he exploited vulnerabilities in corporate networks to gain unauthorized access, then sold that entry to cybercriminals affiliated with the Yanluowang ransomware group. His co-conspirators used the access to deploy malware that encrypted victims' data, locking them out of their systems...