San Francisco, CA – December 20, 2024-Romanian hacker Daniel Hulea gets 20 years for $21M NetWalker ransomware heist, targeting global victims during the pandemic. Justice prevails in landmark case.
In a landmark conviction, Romanian hacker Daniel Christian Hulea has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for his pivotal role in the infamous NetWalker ransomware attacks.
Hulea, extradited to the United States after his arrest in Cluj, Romania, in July 2023, pleaded guilty to orchestrating cyberattacks that extorted over $21 million in cryptocurrency payments from global victims.
NetWalker, a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) operation, targeted critical sectors, including hospitals, law enforcement, and educational institutions. The group exploited the global chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic to maximize its reach, encrypting data and threatening to leak stolen information unless exorbitant ransoms were paid.
Lisa Hammond, a cybersecurity consultant said:
This conviction marks a significant step in the global fight against ransomware. It shows that no matter where criminals operate, justice will eventually catch up.
Court documents revealed Hulea’s massive earnings, including 1,595 bitcoins, which were valued at $21.5 million at the time of payment. Alongside his prison term, Hulea was ordered to pay $14.9 million in restitution and forfeit assets, including a luxury resort property in Bali, financed with his ill-gotten gains.
Hulea’s actions not only harmed his victims financially but also jeopardized lives, especially when targeting healthcare institutions during a pandemic.
NetWalker’s operations were dismantled in 2021 following an international law enforcement raid, which seized their Tor websites and leaked data platforms. However, researchers warn that remnants of NetWalker code are being repurposed by emerging ransomware groups.
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