A Canadian who previously worked as an IT expert for the Canadian government has pleaded guilty to being a high-level hacker. He also admitted to being a member of a Russian cyber-crime group.
Canadian Pleads Guilty to NetWalker Hack
On Wednesday, June 30, Sebastien Vachon-Desjardins, from Quebec, Canada, has agreed to plead guilty in a Florida court.
The 34-year-old was affiliated with the NetWalker ransomware crew, which has attacked hospitals, businesses, municipalities, universities, and schools.
When Vachon-Desjardins was arrested, the authorities discovered that he was in possession of $27 million in Bitcoin, according to TechCrunch.
The case represents an example of a successful arrest and prosecution of a hacker working for a Russia-based cyber-crime group.
The US court documents state that Vachon-Desjardins was one of NetWalker's most prolific affiliates. The evidence gathered by police shows that the suspect went on a hacking spree between April and December 2020 and was able to attack 17 Canadian companies and other businesses around the world.
NetWalker operated ransomware as a criminal service business, offering its software and extortion website to people who wish to hack other businesses.
Russian Leaders of NetWalker
The leaders of NetWalker are still at large, and according to Vachon-Desjardins, they communicate online to ensure that their dangerous malware does not infect Russian computer systems, or those of former Soviet countries, which are now members of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Affiliates like Vachon-Desjardins are responsible for identifying and attacking high-value victims with the group's ransomware.
NetWalker developers and affiliates split the ransom or, if their victim does not pay, they share the money that they made from selling the stolen data of the victim, according to BBC.
Vachon-Desjardins' Arrest
Vachon-Desjardins was arrested in Canada in January 2021 and has subsequently extradited following an investigation in the United States into the cyber-crime group, which dismantled its online operation and uncovered a database of affiliate details.
He revealed to the NetWalker group had more than 100 members, including affiliates, who extorted at least $40 million from its victims.
In one incident, the hacking group extorted $1.14 million from a university in the United States that is trying to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, according to Security Week.
A NetWalker attack on the Düsseldorf University Clinic in September 2020 is also said to have contributed to the death of a patient who had to be relocated to another hospital for their treatment.
The victims would find a note on their computers saying that their files are encrypted by NetWalker. The note will also notify the victim that the encryption algorithms of the group are strong and that their files are well protected, and the only way to get the files back is to cooperate and get the decrypter program.
Police seized several computers and storage devices, including 719 Bitcoin that is worth around $27 million and cash from Vachon-Desjardins' house.
The Canadian hacker is a former IT consultant for Canada's public works and government services department.
On his LinkedIn profile, he says he has worked for several government agencies since 2010, and cites expertise in responding to cyber-security incidents.
Vachon-Desjardins also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to commit computer fraud and one count of transmitting a demand in relation to damaging a protected computer, but the court did not proceed with the two charges.
The hacker will be sentenced at a later date, and he could face up to 10 years in prison.
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Written by Sophie Webster
