Florida ransomware negotiator convicted for helping ransomware ring extort US companies

Florida man Angelo Martino has been sentenced to more than five years in prison for conspiring with hackers to spread ransomware while working as a ransomware negotiator for a US cybersecurity company.

US Department of Justice Confirm the sentence on Thursday, noting that the government confiscated more than $10 million worth of cryptocurrencies and assets. Martino allegedly purchased these assets, which include a food truck and a luxury fishing boat, with money stolen in the hacks.

Martino is the third person to be jailed over the scheme, following the previous imprisonment of cybersecurity professionals Kevin Martin and Ryan Goldberg. Prosecutors say the trio We worked together to deploy BlackCat Ransomware Against companies in the United States throughout 2023. In one successful attack, cyber professionals acting as criminals extorted a company for approximately $1.2 million, which they then split three ways after laundering the money.

The investigation highlights a rare case of security professionals working for malicious hackers on the job. Governments have long advised victims of hacking and extortion not to pay any ransom and to prevent cybercriminals from making a profit, although some companies Do it anyway in attempts to prevent them Private data of customers from leaking.

Extortion attacks helped create an entire insurance sub-sector in the United States to respond to ransomware and extortion attacks. Some companies in this field employ negotiators to try to reduce the cost of the ransom.

BlackCat (also known as ALPHV) is a ransomware-as-a-service operation that allows independent hackers, known as affiliates, to rent access to the gang’s file-encrypting malware in exchange for a cut of the profits from cyberattacks.

The group’s ransomware has been notorious for stealing Highly sensitive medical and billing data for more than 192 million people in America During the February 2024 hack of US health tech giant Change Healthcare, although the affiliated hackers responsible for the 2024 data breach were never identified.