Russian security service arrests 50 hackers for stealing 1.7 billion rubles

The Russian security service FSB reports that fifty hackers have been arrested in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior. They are said to have stolen a total of 1.7 billion rubles from Russian bank accounts, about 22.8 million euros.

Via the Russian news agency Tass, the security service explains that in addition to financial documents and large amounts of cash, computer and communication equipment was also seized in the criminal investigation. There are said to have been 86 searches in the course of the investigation.

The suspects are accused of stealing money from ‘various legal entities and associated accounts with financial institutions’. In doing so, they would have used malicious software, with which the suspects have created botnets of infected computers.

In addition to stealing money, they would also have carried out targeted attacks on banks and government institutions, a ministry spokesman said. It is unclear which malware is involved. There are different types of malware and campaigns that target financial data, for example Dyre, Dridex and Carbanak.