2 admit to prolific ransomware attacks that targeted victims in N.J., across the globe [Video]

Two foreign nationals connected to one of the most prolific ransomware attacks in the world pleaded guilty to federal charges in Newark on Thursday, U.S. officials announced.

Ruslan Magomedeovic Astamirov, 21, a Russian national of the Chechen Republic and Mikhail Vasiliev, 34, from Bradford, Ontario, who holds dual citizenship in Canada and Russia, pleaded guilty to participating in the Lockbit ransomware group that targeted schools, hospitals, police departments and municipalities across New Jersey and the United States, authorities said.

The Lockbit ransomware variant first appeared in January 2020 and grew into a global hazard as one of the most destructive and lucrative ransomware programs in the world, attacking over 2,500 victims across 120 countries, officials said. Federal officials said Lockbit caused over $500 million in ransom payments with billions more in estimated losses due to lost revenue and expenses in responding to being locked out of digital systems.

In the …