Darkreading identified trivia about the US that cybercrime “costs the average US firm $15 million per year” in its “Cybercrime And Hacking Atlas” Guide about “cybercrime threat and target trends in 10 notable countries.” Among other details the Guide included these Notable Hackers:
Russia: Evgeniy Bogachev, also known as Slavik, is thought to be the mastermind behind the GameOver ZeuS botnet. US authorities estimate that he is responsible for losses of over $100 million to US bank accounts alone. While the FBI is offering an unheard-of $3 million dollar reward for information leading to his capture, it’s widely reported that he’s treated as a hero at home along the Black Sea and Russia has taken no steps to arrest him.
Turkey: Ercan Findikoglu was recently extradited to the United States to face charges that he is responsible for over $55 million in theft. Findikoglu allegedly hacked several payment processing firms, lifted withdrawal limits on stolen prepaid debit cards, and orchestrated fraudulent ATM transactions worldwide.
Iceland: Sigurdur Thordarsson, or “Siggi the Hacker,” is a former associate of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Thordarsson later became an FBI informant. While he ultimately found himself in prison, it wasn’t for cybercrime: it was for rape and sexual misconduct with minors.
The Top Ten in Darkreading’s Guide are as follows:
- Hungary
- Italy
- Romania
- Brazil
- Russia
- Turkey
- China
- Iceland
- United States
- India
No one should be surprised by the scope of cybercrime or that the US is in the Top Ten!