Unmasked: the famous Russian cybercriminal who looted hospitals with ransomware

London: The leader of one of the world’s most prolific cybercrime gangs has been unmasked and sanctioned by Australia, Britain and the United States, following a years-long international campaign of disruption.

Russian national Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev, 31, was named as the mastermind behind the notorious LockBit ransomware operation, which has been on a hacking rampage for years, digitally extorting approximately $1 billion from its victims.

Khoroshev remained an enigma as he hid behind the online nicknames “LockBitSupp” and “putinkrab.” He evaded identification and boasted that people would not be able to reveal his identity offline; He even offered a $10 million reward to anyone who could reveal his identity.

LockBit provided ransomware as a service to a global network of hackers or “affiliates”, providing them with the tools and infrastructure to carry out attacks and negotiate ransom payments. The hackers were then asked to provide LockBit with around 20 percent of their profits.