Post by : Rameen Ariff

US federal prosecutors say three individuals who worked in cybersecurity are accused of leveraging their technical expertise to carry out cyberattacks that extorted millions from several US companies.

Court filings identify Ryan Clifford Goldberg, the former Director of Incident Response at Sygnia Consulting Ltd., and Kevin Tyler Martin, a former ransomware negotiator at DigitalMint, as collaborators who allegedly breached corporate networks and demanded ransom payments. Authorities say the scheme began in May 2023 and affected at least five businesses.

According to prosecutors, the pair and a third associate allegedly obtained roughly $1.3 million in cryptocurrency from a Florida-based medical device company by using ALPHV BlackCat ransomware to encrypt data and threaten disclosure unless paid.

Both Goldberg and Martin were employed in roles that normally help victims recover from cyberattacks—firms that negotiate with threat actors to restore systems. Prosecutors contend they exploited that insider knowledge to conduct the very attacks they were meant to counter.

DigitalMint confirmed Martin was previously employed there and said the alleged conduct was "completely outside the scope" of his duties. The company added that none of its systems or client records were compromised and that those implicated were dismissed months earlier.

Sygnia likewise said Goldberg was terminated as soon as the company became aware of the accusations and that he is cooperating with investigators.

Goldberg is in federal custody in Florida, while Martin, released on bond, has pleaded not guilty. A third suspected negotiator tied to DigitalMint has not been charged.

Prosecutors say the alleged campaign targeted multiple organisations, including a Maryland pharmaceutical company, a Virginia drone manufacturer, an engineering firm and a physician's office in California.

The investigation is being led by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami, highlighting growing concern about insider-enabled cybercrime within the cybersecurity industry.

#News, #World #Tech