Russian hacker admits helping Yanluowang ransomware infect companies

A Russian hacker, Aleksey Olegovich Volkov, has admitted to pleading guilty for his role as an initial access broker for the Yanluowang ransomware group. Volkov specialized in gaining unauthorized network access and selling it to ransomware operators, earning over US $256,000 and agreeing to pay US $9 million in restitution. His case highlights the organized structure of the ransomware ecosystem and how cryptocurrency payments can be traced.