Time to face the music

An alleged Russian hacker appeared in court for the first time Thursday to face allegations that he played a role in a transnational cybercrime organization after being extradited to the United States from South Korea.

Vladimir Dunaev is alleged to have been a member of a group that used “Trickbot” malware to carry out cyberattacks worldwide between 2015 and 2020, including stealing personal information and damaging computer networks of groups such as schools, government entities, and financial institutions. These incidents involved ransomware attacks.

Dunaev is alleged to have worked as a malware developer for the Trickbot group, and has been charged with conspiracy to commit computer fraud and aggravated identity theft, along with charges of money laundering, wire fraud, and bank fraud, among others. He faces a maximum sentence of 60 years in prison if convicted of all counts.