“Double Spider”: Raid against international hacker network

2023-09-18 15:53:13

“Double Spider” raid against international hacker network

There were searches due to cyber crime in southern Germany and Ukraine. photo

© Sebastian Gollnow/dpa/Illustration

“Double Spider” is said to have extorted over 600 victims worldwide, some of them up to tens of millions of dollars. Now there are further searches.

In connection with the international hacker network “Doppel Spider” there have been searches of suspects in Given to southern Germany and Ukraine.

Cybercrime specialists from the North Rhine-Westphalia State Criminal Police Office (LKA) and the US Secret Service have located a 44-year-old in Ukraine and a 45-year-old in southern Germany, the LKA announced in Düsseldorf.

The 45-year-old from southern Germany is suspected of having received the money extorted in the cyber attacks. The suspects remained at large during last week’s operation. Two Russians are still considered the main suspects and masterminds.

In Germany, the hacker network is said to be responsible, among other things, for the blackmail of the Düsseldorf University Hospital, the attack on the Funke media group and other well-known companies. The allegations against the main perpetrators are: commercial, digital blackmail and computer sabotage.

Possible connections to Wagner

More than 600 victims worldwide are said to have been blackmailed out of up to double-digit millions. The first known attack of this type was against the British healthcare system in May 2017. It is said to have been carried out by a precursor group.

In March, NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) pointed out references and connections to the Russian domestic secret service FSB and the paramilitary mercenary force Wagner. The assumption is that the actions were at least tolerated by Russia.

The two main suspects, who were named last March, are on Europol’s “most wanted” list. A woman who was named as the third suspect in March has now been removed from the list. The suspicion against her was not confirmed.

In Germany, the group is said to have attacked and damaged at least 37 institutions. It can be assumed that the number is unreported because there are still companies that pay ransoms without involving the police, it was said in March. 13 EU countries are affected.

dpa