A Russian court on Friday sentenced four alleged hackers accused of ransomware attacks on Western companies to up to six years in prison, the state-run TASS news agency reported.
The group, part of the notorious REvil cybercrime gang, were arrested in January 2022 following a request by US law enforcement agencies, the news agency said.
REvil has claimed responsibility for several ransomware attacks, including on US and Australian companies, as well as hospitals and public services around the world, extracting millions of dollars in payments.
Ransomware is a form of digital blackmail in which hackers encrypt data or block services, demanding users pay to regain access.
A military court in Saint Petersburg sentenced the four to between four-and-a-half to six years prison, TASS reported.
Millions of dollars worth of cash and luxury cars were also seized from the group.
Their lawyers said they will appeal the verdict. Four more suspects in the case are still on trial in separate proceedings.
At the time of their arrest in January 2022, Russia’s FSB said US authorities had shared data on the suspects with Moscow and their involvement in attacks on international IT companies — a rare example of cooperation between the two countries.
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