Two U.S. cybersecurity professionals plead guilty in ransomware conspiracy
GeokHub
Contributing Writer
WASHINGTON, Dec 30 — Two U.S. cybersecurity professionals have pleaded guilty to conspiring with a ransomware group to extort American companies, the Justice Department said on Tuesday.
Ryan Goldberg, 40, of Georgia, and Kevin Martin, 36, of Texas, admitted in federal court in Miami to a single count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce through extortion, the department said. The two are scheduled to be sentenced in March and each faces a maximum prison term of 20 years.
Prosecutors said Goldberg and Martin collaborated with the ALPHV Blackcat ransomware group, helping encrypt the computer networks of several U.S. companies in an effort to extract millions of dollars in cryptocurrency from their owners.
The case drew attention because both defendants were established professionals in the cybersecurity industry, a sector tasked with protecting companies from such attacks.
An attorney for Martin declined to comment, while the federal public defender representing Goldberg also declined to comment.
Martin had previously worked for cybersecurity firm DigitalMint, which said it was aware of the guilty plea.
“We strongly condemn his actions, which were undertaken without the knowledge, permission, or involvement of the company,” DigitalMint said in a statement, adding that it had cooperated fully with the Justice Department during the investigation.
Goldberg had previously worked for cybersecurity firm Sygnia, which said earlier that he was terminated immediately after the allegations came to light and that the company itself was not under investigation. A representative for Sygnia did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
A third alleged co-conspirator was named in court filings, but Reuters was unable to determine that person’s identity or status. Authorities also did not provide details on how to contact ALPHV Blackcat, which disappeared last year following a high-profile cyberattack on UnitedHealth Group.
