Moldova arrests suspect linked to DoppelPaymer ransomware attacks

Moldovan authorities have detained a 45-year-old suspect linked to DoppelPaymer ransomware attacks targeting Dutch organizations in 2021. Police officers searched the suspect's home and car on May 6, seizing an electronic wallet, €84,800, two laptops, a mobile phone, a tablet, six bank cards, and multiple data storage devices. The suspect remains in custody, while Moldovan prosecutors have initiated legal procedures to extradite him to the Netherlands. The arrest resulted from a joint action involving Moldovan prosecutors, the country's Center for Combating Cybercrimes, and law enforcement in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. A Monday press release added that the suspect, described as a "foreign citizen," had allegedly orchestrated a 2021 ransomware attack against the NWO (Dutch Research Council) that led to roughly €4.5 million in damages. The NWO disclosed the incident on February 14, 2021, saying the attack forced it to shut down its grant application system. Ten days later, the ... Read full article.