Two Russians were indicted on computer-crime charges stemming from a rash of intrusions into the networks of banks, Internet service providers and other companies.
The two alleged network intruders, identified as 20-year-old Alexey Ivanov and 25-year-old Vasiliy Gorshkov, were indicted earlier this month on counts of conspiracy, wire fraud and violations of the Computer Crime and Abuse Act, said Assistant US Attorney Stephen Schroeder.
The duo allegedly broke into the computer systems of several e-commerce companies, stole credit-card information and then returned to the companies as "consultants" to charge for fixing the flaw.
"After they hacked into the system, they would communicate with the system administrator and ask to be paid for information regarding the vulnerability," said Schroeder, the prosecutor assigned to the case.
Among the victims in the case are Internet service providers Speakeasy.net and CTF as well as the US subsidiary of South Korea's Nara Bank. Schroeder said that evidence also linked the two to the theft of 15,700 credit-card numbers from Western Union last September.
Federal authorities say they also found evidence that the two intended to create a Web page made to resemble the site of an online cash-transfer service to nab credit card numbers from more victims. However, it's unknown whether the scam was ever attempted.
International crime spree
The duo's alleged exploits largely match the details of a warning issued by the FBI in March regarding the activities of organized hacker groups in Russia and the Ukraine. The advisory blames the international groups for online break-ins at 40 companies in 20 states.
Schroeder said much of the information in the advisory came from details revealed by the FBI and the Department of Justice during their investigation of Ivanov and Gorshkov. He added that the arrests, at most, scratched the surface of computer-crime circles in Russia.
"There is not just one group in Russia," he said. "And I'm sure that we didn't get this entire group."
Internet sting operation
Federal authorities say they arrested the two Russians after an FBI sting operation lured them to the United States with promises of a job with a fictitious company.
The FBI started the sting operation in July after it had identified Ivanov as a suspect, said Schroeder.
"We communicated with them and set up a system and invited them to probe the system," he said, adding that when the two cracked into the computer, law enforcement officials noted what vulnerabilities they exploited.
Over several months, law enforcement managed to convince the Russians to come to the United States to join the company. When they arrived in November, they were arrested.
Currently, Gorshkov is being held without bail in Seattle until his May 29 trial. Ivanov has been remanded to Connecticut authorities to face charges there.
