ChainCatcher reports that, according to the Guangzhou Daily, the Hangzhou Shangcheng District People's Court recently made a first-instance verdict on a case involving ransomware using Trojan viruses. Four defendants were sentenced to 3 to 7.5 years in prison for the crimes of extortion and infringement of citizens' personal information.
The gang's ringleader, Qi, and others were originally network security engineers who were familiar with system vulnerabilities and had previously engaged in illegally crawling and profiting from citizens' personal information. By the end of 2023, they shifted to ransomware attacks, using Trojan viruses to encrypt corporate files and demand cryptocurrency ransoms. Police investigations revealed that the gang had also attacked two other companies, extorting over 330,000 yuan worth of cryptocurrency. The gang had strong anti-investigation awareness, using overseas proxy servers to hide their tracks and utilizing AI to optimize virus code. In December 2023, police arrested the 4 individuals in Inner Mongolia, Beijing, and other locations. The court determined that their actions seriously undermined network security and ultimately made a legal judgment.
