Svoboda Cybersecurity Brief December 21, 2025
Ukrainian National Pleads Guilty to Nefilim Ransomware Attacks
Artem Aleksandrovych Stryzhak, a Ukrainian national, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit computer fraud for deploying Nefilim ransomware against companies in the US and other countries. The group targeted firms with annual revenues exceeding $100M, exfiltrating data and threatening leaks unless ransoms were paid. Stryzhak faces up to 10 years in prison, while a $11M reward is offered for his co-conspirator, Volodymyr Tymoshchuk.
Source: DataBreaches.net
US DOJ Charges 54 in ATM Jackpotting Scheme Using Ploutus Malware
The US DoJ indicted 54 individuals linked to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang, for a multi-million dollar ATM jackpotting operation using Ploutus malware. The malware forced ATMs to dispense cash, with $40.73M stolen since 2021. Defendants face up to 335 years in prison collectively.
Source: The Hacker News
RansomHouse Upgrades Encryption with Multi-Layered Data Processing
RansomHouse’s new ‘Mario’ encryptor introduces two-stage encryption with dynamic chunk sizing and intermittent encryption, making decryption and analysis harder. The ransomware now targets files over 8GB more efficiently and drops ransom notes with the .emario extension.
Impact: Stronger encryption reduces recovery chances without paying ransom.
Mitigation: Regular backups, endpoint detection, and network segmentation.
Source: BleepingComputer
Nigerian National Convicted in $7.5M Charity Fraud Scheme
Olusegun Samson Adejorin was convicted of wire fraud, identity theft, and unauthorized computer access after spoofing domains and impersonating employees to steal $7.5M from charitable organizations. He faces up to 20 years per fraud count.
Source: DataBreaches.net
Bangladesh Man Charged for Selling Fake ID Templates Online
Zahid Hasan operated TechTreek and EGiftCardStoreBD, selling fraudulent US passports, social security cards, and Montana driver’s licenses for as low as $9.37. The sites earned $2.9M from 1,400 global customers before being seized by US authorities.
Source: DataBreaches.net
Survey on Threats Against Cybersecurity Journalists and Researchers
DataBreaches.net and Zack Whittaker are conducting a survey to document legal threats, violence, and harassment faced by journalists and security researchers in the cybersecurity space. The study aims to quantify risks in the field.
Source: DataBreaches.net
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