U.S. charges 55-year-old dual French-Venezuelan cardiologist with creating ransomware

The federal court in Brooklyn has issued a warrant for the arrest of 55-year-old dual French-Venezuelan Moisés Luis Zagalu González on charges of creating a ransomware virus and distributing ransomware programs. This сообщили in the U.S. Department of Justice.

According to court documents, González, who resides in Ciudad Bolívar and works as a cardiologist, is the developer of the ransomware virus Jigsaw. The malware uses a ‘Doomsday’ timer, counting the number of attempts to remove itself from the victim’s computer. When the limit is reached, it destroys all encrypted files.

On the internet, the accused is known by the aliases Nosophoros, Aesculapius and Nebuchadnezzar. He is also attributed as the author of the Thanos builder, which allows creating unique instances of ransomware with the aim of use or rent. It is believed that this software was used by hackers linked to Iranian authorities to attack Israeli companies.

According to the FBI, González distributes his software on various online forums frequented by cybercriminals and assists in carrying out attacks. He takes payment for his services in cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Monero. For this, he uses a PayPal account of a relative living in Florida.

An open criminal case has been filed against González for attempted interference with computer systems and criminal conspiracy to commit such intrusions. If arrested and convicted on the counts, he faces up to 10 years in prison.

Earlier, the U.S. State Department announced a reward of $10 million for information that could identify the identities of the “key leaders” of the group behind the Conti ransomware.

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