Feds charge 16 Russians allegedly tied to botnets used in cyberattacks and spying

image via Ars Technica

May 23, 2025, 7:56 PM

• •The DOJ announced criminal charges against 16 individuals linked to the DanaBot malware operation, which infected at least 300,000 machines worldwide.
• •DanaBot was allegedly used for both for-profit criminal hacking, including ransomware, and state-sponsored espionage against military, government, and NGO targets.
• •DanaBot was used in cyberattacks, like DDoS attacks against Ukrainian targets during the early weeks of the Russia-Ukraine war, and has been linked to state-sponsored operations.

The US Department of Justice has charged 16 Russian nationals for their alleged involvement in the DanaBot malware operation, which infected hundreds of thousands of machines globally. DanaBot, initially a banking trojan, evolved into a tool used for various cybercrimes, including ransomware and attacks on financial institutions. More notably, the malware was also used for espionage and attacks against Ukrainian government entities, highlighting the blurred lines between cybercrime and state-sponsored hacking. The takedown of the DanaBot infrastructure represents a significant milestone in disrupting a multi-faceted cyber operation.

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