Posted on 11/04/2025 7:24:14 AM PST by lowbridge
Two former employees of cybersecurity firms that sold services helping companies combat hackers have been indicted and accused of participating in a conspiracy, outside of their day jobs, to hack multiple US firms and extort them for millions of dollars.
The two men are accused of deploying ransomware used by a prolific cybercriminal gang in attacks in 2023 against a medical device firm in Florida, a pharmaceutical firm in Maryland and a drone maker in Virginia, among other alleged victims.
Kevin Tyler Martin of Roanoke, Texas, and Ryan Clifford Goldberg of Watkinsville, Georgia, face matching federal charges including interfering in interstate commerce through extortion and intentionally damaging a protected computer, according to an indictment filed in the US Southern District of Florida last month.
The men — and an unnamed alleged co-conspirator — are accused of demanding approximately $10 million from the Florida-based medical device maker to unlock the firm’s data, and ultimately received about $1.27 million, according to the indictment.
Attorneys for Martin and Goldberg declined to comment.
It’s a case of cyber experts allegedly switching sides in the fight against ransomware. The thriving ransomware market has grown into a threat that has disrupted critical services across the US and cost the economy billions of dollars.
Cybersecurity firms often work very closely with the FBI and international law enforcement to track down and collect evidence on ransomware gangs, which operate across borders and time zones. Many prominent security firms have been integral to helping law enforcement put accused ransomware operators in cuffs.
“Companies, governments and people put a lot of trust in us to try to keep them safe,” Allan Liska, who has tracked ransomware for years for cybersecurity firm Recorded Future, told CNN. “Incidents like this erode that trust and make an already difficult job even more challenging.”
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Traitors! HANG THEM!
I’d be willing to bet they frequently attended “Blackhat” security conference in Las Vegas.
I went once and noticed there were many more hackers there than security experts.
I have long held the opinion that the cyber security companies are the ones who create the computer viruses, then sell the antidotes for them. Prove me wrong!
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