initial-access-broker

Mario Kart Got Two Years. The Guy Who Sold the Keys Got Nearly Seven.

John Z Black Mar 26, 2026

Ransomware & Cybercrime #russia #cybercrime #sentencing #ransomware #ta551 #initial-access-broker #doj

Two Russian cybercriminals were sentenced the same week. One ran a botnet that hit 72 US companies and got 2 years. The other sold network access to ransomware crews and got nearly 7. The gap says something real about how DOJ views the ransomware supply chain.

Russian 'Key Seller' Who Helped Ransomware Gangs Break Into Victims Gets Nearly 7 Years

John Z Black Mar 25, 2026

Ransomware & Cybercrime #ransomware #initial-access-broker #yanluowang #doj #sentencing #russia #cisco

Aleksei Volkov, a 26-year-old Russian initial access broker for the Yanluowang ransomware gang, was sentenced to 81 months in federal prison and ordered to pay over $9 million in restitution. He made one mistake: he left Russia.