Crylock (ransomware virus)

Chronicle

2025: Brussels court sentences Russian to 7 years in prison for creating ransomware virus that attacked thousands of computers around the world

At the end of June 2025, the Brussels Criminal Court sentenced a Russian citizen to 7 years in prison for creating the Crylock ransomware virus. This malware attacked thousands of computers around the world, and the total damage is in the tens of millions of euros.

According to the investigation, the convicted man, whose name has not been disclosed, is the developer of the Crylock malware. He acted in collusion with an accomplice who was involved in the spread of the ransomware virus and negotiated with the victims for a ransom. The case file says that in 2015 this woman herself became a victim of a cyber attack, but then she established a connection with the creator of Crylock and eventually began to act with him. The court sentenced her to five years in prison, of which one year was suspended. Both defendants received two years in prison for refusing to cooperate with the investigation.

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Фото: Freepik

The actions committed by the defendants belong to the category of especially grave. This is a form of cyber fraud that violates public order, undermines confidence in digital technologies and has a serious impact on the well-being of victims, the decree said.

Law enforcement agencies confiscated more than €60 million in cryptocurrency: these funds were allegedly obtained illegally as a result of the spread of the ransomware. The victims of cybercriminals were mainly companies, but also among them were private individuals, including minors.

The Crylock malware first appeared in Belgium in the spring of 2014, and in 2016 the federal prosecutor's office began an investigation. Law enforcement officials have identified two suspects who were arrested in Spain in June 2023. During searches of their Spanish home, police seized 16 servers. Then the defendants were extradited to Belgium.^[1]

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