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Showing posts with label Armenia. Show all posts

Armenian Suspect Extradited to US Over Role in RedLine Malware Operation

 

A man from Armenia now faces trial in the U.S., accused of helping run a major cybercriminal network recently uncovered. On March 23, authorities took Hambardzum Minasyan into custody; later that week, he stood before judges in Austin. Officials there detailed how he supposedly aided the RedLine scheme behind the scenes.  

Minasyan faces accusations tied to overseeing parts of a malicious software network, say U.S. justice officials. Hosting setups involving virtual servers - central to directing attacks - are part of what he allegedly handled. Domain registrations connected to RedLine operations were reportedly arranged by him. File-sharing platforms built under his direction may have helped spread the program to users. Control mechanisms behind these actions remain outlined in official claims. 

After deployment, RedLine grabs private details like banking records and passwords from compromised devices. This stolen data often ends up traded or misused by online criminals. One key figure, Minasyan, allegedly helped manage core infrastructure alongside others involved. Control dashboards used by partners in the scheme were reportedly maintained through their efforts.  

Besides handling infrastructure tasks, Minasyan faces claims he helped run money flows for the network. A digital currency wallet tied to him supposedly managed transactions among members and moved profits from compromised information. Officials report that the team continuously assisted people deploying the malicious software, guiding attack methods while boosting earnings.  

Facing several accusations today, Minasyan is charged with using unauthorized access devices, breaking rules under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, along with plotting ways to launder money. A guilty verdict might lead to a maximum penalty of three decades behind bars.  

A wave of global actions has tightened pressure on RedLine operations. Early in 2024, teams from several countries joined forces - among them officers from the Dutch National Police - to strike key systems powering the malware network. This push formed what officials later called Operation Magnus, a synchronized disruption targeting how the service operated. 

Instead of selling outright, its creators let hackers lease access; investigators focused sharply on this rental setup during their work. A federal indictment names Maxim Alexandrovich Rudometov, a citizen of Russia, as central to creating the malicious software. Should he be found guilty, extended penalties may apply due to further allegations tied to his role. 

A closer look reveals persistent attempts worldwide to weaken structured hacking groups while targeting central figures for responsibility. Despite challenges, momentum builds as actions cross borders to undermine digital criminal systems.

Azerbaijani hackers obtained information from the Armenian Ministry of Defense


Passport data of several hundred Armenian citizens, including military personnel, as well as documents related to the Republic's military units, were leaked to the network by Azerbaijani hackers over the past three days. This was stated by media expert and information security specialist Samvel Martirosyan on July 8.

The expert noted that over the past month personal information of Armenian citizens infected with the coronavirus was leaked to the network six times. According to him, the criminals may have much more information than they published.

This is an extremely dangerous situation because among the documents there is such information as the number of vehicles in the military unit, and passport data can be used by fraudsters to issue loans.
Martirosyan believes that Azerbaijani hackers get access to official information mainly through email, taking advantage of the low level of computer literacy of the Armenian population. A significant amount of this information is sent via personal emails, which hackers can easily hack. To solve the problem, the expert suggests developing clear instructions on how to use the information and train people.

The National Security Service (NSS) of the Republic noted that they do not have information on the last data leakage but confirmed the fact of the previous two.

Earlier it became known that Azerbaijani hackers once again posted the data of Armenian citizens infected with Covid-19. On June 24, two files with names, addresses and mobile phones were published, but without passport data. Two weeks earlier, Azerbaijani hackers distributed the data of about 3,500 Armenian citizens with confirmed coronavirus infection, as well as residents of the Republic who were in contact with patients. "The e-mail of one of the outpatient regional medical centers was hacked and there was an attempt to extract information," said the NSS.

Armenian Minister of Justice explains how new software will find COVID-19 infected people


Armenian President Armen Sarkisian signed the bill on amendments to the law "on the legal regime of emergency" and "on electronic communication" adopted in the Parliament.
Earlier, the Opposition disrupted the bill on control against coronavirus. Opposition deputies called it an unacceptable interference in the personal life of citizens.

The government, however, has again submitted to the National Assembly a new bill that would control the telephone contacts and location of citizens in order to combat the coronavirus.
Justice Minister Rustam Badasyan said at a press conference in the government on Wednesday that the program for monitoring citizens in Armenia will allow identifying potential infected persons using an automatic algorithm. The subjective factor is excluded here.

The approved draft amendments to the law "on electronic communication" allows monitoring the movement of citizens using data from mobile operators.

If it turns out that a user (Person X) has detected a coronavirus, the program will automatically allocate all those whom Person X made at least one call in the last 14 days, and with whom he personally contacted (the state can also collect this data from operators).

At the same time, as the Minister noted, it is necessary that these two factors coincide. In other words, if Person X called Person Y 20 times but never saw him, Person Y will not be at risk.

Only those with whom Person X at least once called up and saw each other are at risk. But this does not mean that all of them will be sent to quarantine. Emergency workers will call them and find out the circumstances of their contacts.

The Minister stressed that the program for the new system was developed in Armenia. Data on the movement of citizens will not be available to foreign companies and governments, and inside the country will be deleted immediately after the end of the state of emergency.
It should be noted that in Armenia from March 16 to April 14 a state of emergency is in place to combat the spread of coronavirus.