A Ransomware negotiator hired to represent victims was working for the attackers

One former ransomware negotiator was to be judged up to 70 months in prison yesterday after colluding with the BlackCat gang to track down the people they hired to protect them.

As a ransomware negotiator of Company DigitalMintFlorida-based Angelo Martino’s job was to “negotiate with cybercriminals to reduce the ransom paid by (DigitalMint’s) customers,” the US government said. decision the second. “Instead, Martino provided cybercriminals with confidential negotiating information to increase ransoms in exchange for a portion of the ransom payment. Five of the victims Martino was supposed to help paid more than $75 million to ransomware partners, including nearly millions of dollars in ransom demands that rose because of the secrets Martino provided.”

Martino, 41, agreed and asked for a 24-month prison sentencesaying that he “provided a great deal of assistance which enabled the prosecution and conviction of the two defendants.” As explained in this issue of November 2025the defendants were Texas resident Kevin Martin, who negotiated the DigitalMint ransom, and Georgia resident Ryan Goldberg, an operations manager at security firm Sygnia.

Read the full article

Comments

Source link