{"id":57262,"date":"2024-10-01T14:08:10","date_gmt":"2024-10-01T14:08:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.threatshub.org\/blog\/nca-unmasks-man-it-suspects-is-both-evil-corp-kingpin-and-lockbit-affiliate\/"},"modified":"2024-10-01T14:08:10","modified_gmt":"2024-10-01T14:08:10","slug":"nca-unmasks-man-it-suspects-is-both-evil-corp-kingpin-and-lockbit-affiliate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.threatshub.org\/blog\/nca-unmasks-man-it-suspects-is-both-evil-corp-kingpin-and-lockbit-affiliate\/","title":{"rendered":"NCA unmasks man it suspects is both ‘Evil Corp kingpin’ and LockBit affiliate"},"content":{"rendered":"

The latest installment of the National Crime Agency’s (NCA) series of ransomware revelations from February’s LockBit Leak Week emerges today as the agency identifies a man it not only believes is a member of the long-running Evil Corp crime group but also a LockBit affiliate.<\/p>\n

The NCA claimed Aleksandr Ryzhenkov is a high-ranking Evil Corp member \u2013 and also alleged he is the LockBit affiliate who has been known as “Beverley” since at least 2022. The revelation is the first-of-its-kind about a known crossover between the two Russian gangs.<\/p>\n

The unmasking of Ryzhenkov follows the unveiling of the 194 total affiliates \u2013 the cronies that actually carry out ransomware attacks using the brand’s name \u2013 registered with LockBit at the time of the disruption in February.<\/p>\n

\"Handout<\/p>\n

Cops finally unmask ‘LockBit kingpin’ after two-month tease<\/h2>\n

READ MORE<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n

The disruption came to be known around these parts as LockBit Leak Week, since insights about the group were drip-fed to the public over the course of a week, using the ransomware gang’s own website to do it. The same website was revived to reveal this week’s fresh batch of intel.<\/p>\n

The 194 affiliates were only registered using the moniker assigned to them by LockBit. Cops who revealed that list believe the affiliate who went by “Beverley” to be Ryzhenkov.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/a><\/p>\n

From left, a young Dmitry Smirnov<\/a> and Aleksandr Ryzhenkov, whom the NCA alleges are both core Evil Corp members, cuddle up with a baby cheetah. Picture provided by the NCA \u2013 click to enlarge<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The law enforcement group also said it believes Ryzhenkov is one of Evil Corp leader Maksim Yakubets’ closest professional allies and personal friends. The pair are known to frequently socialize together with their wives; they attended each other’s weddings and have vacationed together in the past too.<\/p>\n

They’ve also \u2013 at least according to the crime agency \u2013 worked together as leading organized cybercriminals since at least 2011.<\/p>\n