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The federal court of Brooklyn announced the search for 55-year-old citizen of France and Venezuela, Moises Luis Zagala Gonzalez, on charges of creating a ransomware virus and distributing ransomware. This was reported in the US Department of Justice.
According to the case file, Gonzalez, who lives in Ciudad Bolivar and works as a cardiologist, is the developer of the Jigsaw ransomware virus. The malware uses a “Doomsday” timer to count the number of attempts to remove it from the victim’s computer. When the limit is reached, it destroys all encrypted files.
Online, the accused is known by the nicknames Nosophoros, Aesculapius and Nebuchadnezzar. He is also credited with the authorship of the Thanos linker, which allows you to create unique instances of ransomware for the purpose of use or renting. It is believed that this software was used by hackers associated with the Iranian authorities to attack Israeli companies.
According to the FBI, Gonzalez distributes his software on various online forums visited by cybercriminals and helps in conducting attacks. The accused accepts service fees in cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin and Monero. To do this, he uses the PayPal account of a relative living in Florida.
A criminal case has been opened against González for attempts to interfere with the operation of computers and a criminal conspiracy to carry out such an invasion. If caught and found guilty on a combination of charges, he faces up to 10 years in prison.
Earlier, the US State Department announced a reward of $ 10 million for information that allows to identify the “key leaders” of the group behind the Conti ransomware virus.
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