Belarusian Ransom Cartel Mastermind Gets 16 Years in Prison

Maksim Silnikau, a 40-year-old Belarusian identified as the creator and administrator of the Ransom Cartel ransomware, was extradited to the U.S. and sentenced to 16 years in prison; court documents say he built the operation, recruited participants via cybercrime forums, provided stolen credentials and encryption tools, and maintained a hidden site to manage attacks, communicate with victims, and distribute funds.