Ransom Cartel hits at least 18 companies
Ransom Cartel attackers hit at least 18 companies in the United States and abroad between 2021 and 2023. The group's founder, Maksim Silnikau, was sentenced to 16 years in prison on August 5, 2026.
- Started
- Apr 25, 2023
- Latest activity
- Aug 5, 2026
- Attributed to
- Ransom CartelConfirmed
- Where
- United States
- Sectors
- Multiple sectors
- Scale
- At least 18 companies in the United States and abroad
Current status
No credible reporting or official statement dated after August 5, 2026 was found; the latest confirmed update remains the sentencing on August 5, 2026.
Dormant: No new confirmed activity for a while, and nobody has called an official all clear.
Who is behind it
The U.S. Justice Department identified Silnikau as the creator and administrator of Ransom Cartel.
Impact
The attackers carried out ransomware intrusions against at least 18 companies. The available reports do not identify the victims or detail their operational losses.
Timeline
-
Aug 5, 2026
A federal judge in Virginia sentenced Maksim Silnikau to 16 years in prison.
Dormantthehackernews.com -
Apr 25, 2023
The last charged Ransom Cartel act involved negotiating terms to supply computers for locking.
Activethehackernews.com
Sources
- Ransom Cartel Creator Gets 16 Years in Prison for Operating Ransomware-as-a-Service The Hacker News Aug 6, 2026
- Ransom Cartel Leader Sentenced to 16 Years in U.S. SecurityAffairs Aug 6, 2026
- Belarusian Ransom Cartel Mastermind Gets 16 Years in Prison SecurityWeek Aug 6, 2026
- Ransom Cartel ransomware creator sentenced to 16 years in prison BleepingComputer Aug 5, 2026
Related reports
- Ransom Cartel creator sentenced to 16 years Aug 6, 2026
- US sentences ransomware boss to 16 years Jul 27, 2026