Ukrainian citizen Yaroslav Vasinsky, associated with the REvil (Sodinokibi) ransomware group, has been sentenced to 13 years and seven months of imprisonment in the United States. Vasinsky, known online by various aliases including MrRabotnik, Profcomserv, Rabotnik, Rabotnik_New, Yarik45, Yaraslav2468, and Affiliate 22, was involved in hacking companies worldwide since 2019, deploying the REvil malware in their infrastructure.
Massive Ransomware Attacks and Demands
According to the US Department of Justice, Vasinsky and his accomplices hacked thousands of computers globally and encrypted them with ransomware. They then demanded ransom exceeding $700 million from the victims, threatening to publicly disclose their data if they refused to pay. The REvil operators were linked to the high-profile attack on Kaseya’s MSP solution in 2021, considered one of the largest ransomware incidents in history.
Kaseya Ransomware Attack
The Kaseya attack exploited 0-day vulnerabilities in the company’s VSA product, allowing the perpetrators to target Kaseya’s MSP provider customers and deploy ransomware in thousands of corporate networks. Official data indicates around 60 Kaseya clients were compromised as a result of this attack.
Arrest and Sentencing
Yaroslav Vasinsky was arrested in October 2021 while attempting to enter Poland, based on a US-issued warrant. He faced charges of conspiracy to commit fraud, intentional damage to a protected computer, and money laundering conspiracy. The US Department of Justice has now sentenced him to 13 years and seven months in prison, along with a $16 million restitution payment.