2 US Cybersecurity Experts Jailed for Aiding ALPHV (BlackCat) Ransomware

Two U.S. cybersecurity professionals were sentenced to four years each for affiliating with the ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware group in 2023, using a ransomware-as-a-service model to extort over 1,000 victims (including medical centres) and leaking sensitive data; a third co-conspirator has pleaded guilty. The FBI disrupted the BlackCat network, developed a recovery tool that helped hundreds of victims avoid paying, and is credited with preventing roughly $99 million from reaching the attackers.