Operators of decade-old Malware-as-a-Service outfit charged

As Crackas With Attitude hacker “Incursio” got handed a 2-year prison sentence for gaining unauthorized access to government computers and online accounts of a number of US government officials (including then-CIA Director John Brennan), his hacking colleagues are either awaiting sentencing in the US or prosecution by the UK Crown Prosecution Service.

UK malware supplier

In the meantime, 18-year-old UK student Jack Chappell has been charged with running a web business supplying malware that was used to attack websites of companies like T-Mobile, Vodafone, BBC, BT, Amazon, Netflix, Virgin Media, NatWest, as well as that of the UK National Crime Agency.

According to the West Midlands Regional Cyber Crime Unit, Chappell supplied Denial of Service software and ran an online helpdesk for hackers as part of the operation.

Malware-as-a-Service operation

Two Latvian men have also been charged this week for running a Malware-as-a-Service operation for over a decade.

Ruslans Bondars and Jurijs Martisevs allegedly developed various hacking software – malware toolkits, remote access Trojans, keyloggers, malware obfuscation kits – and offered it for sale through a hidden service accessible via the Tor network.

They apparently started this operation in late 2006, and had over 30,000 users.

According to the indictment, the software they sold has been used in major computer intrusions committed against US businesses. Martisevs also allegedly provided customer support to clients.

According to the Washington Post, an alleged co-conspirator of the pair, based in Great Falls, Virginia, apparently created a keylogger that was sold via their service and ended up being used by by 3,000 customers to infect 16,000 computers in 2012.

Both Bondars and Martisevs were arrested overseas, and are awaiting trial in jail in the US. They have both been charged with conspiracy, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and computer hacking.