Russia jails hacker for two years over cyberattack on local tech company

A Russian citizen has been sentenced to two years in a penal colony for launching a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack against a local tech company.

The man, a resident of the Rostov region, was convicted for organizing a paid DDoS attack in April 2024 against a company classified as part of Russia’s critical information infrastructure, according to a statement from the Federal Security Service (FSB). In addition to the prison sentence, he was fined 500,000 rubles (approximately $5,400).

The Russian agency didn’t specify who paid the suspect for the attack, but in previous cases it has blamed Ukrainian intelligence agencies for recruiting Russian citizens to carry out sabotage, espionage and cyber campaigns inside the country.

Russian security agencies have increasingly reported cases involving local hackers allegedly working against the state or cooperating with foreign entities.

In October, the FSB detained a 61-year-old Moscow resident accused of using Ukrainian-made software to conduct DDoS attacks during regional elections. Authorities said the attacks disrupted infrastructure in Moscow and its surrounding areas.

A month earlier, investigators opened a treason case against a Moscow-based scientist alleged to have collaborated with Ukraine’s intelligence services to carry out cyberattacks. If convicted, he could face a life sentence.

Russian law enforcement also arrested a tech student last October for allegedly aiding the Ukrainian hacker group known as Cyber Anarchy Squad. In a separate case, a 49-year-old man was charged in February for causing a regional blackout through a cyberattack on a power plant.

Despite this uptick in domestic cybercrime prosecutions, legal proceedings against major Russian-linked hacking groups have progressed more slowly.

The trial of several alleged members of REvil — a ransomware group blamed for high-profile attacks abroad — has dragged on for over two years. Of the 14 people originally detained, only eight have appeared in court, facing charges of illegal financial transactions. During a hearing this week, some defendants pleaded guilty while others maintained their innocence.

Meanwhile, the Russian government has pushed back against international efforts to target Russian hacking groups. After the U.S. sanctioned members of the pro-Kremlin Cyber Army of Russia Reborn (CARR), Moscow dismissed the move as part of a Western “propaganda campaign.”