Paris trial shines light on everyday cybercrime as couple faces ransomware charges
The story recounted by Laurent Lerbet was sadly unremarkable: that of a company falling victim to a cyberattack, one of hundreds. In July 2022, his agricultural cooperative saw several of its machines "infected" with malicious software. "They broke in and encrypted everything," the manager, who also oversees wine cellars in southwestern France, told Le Monde. "For three days, we had nothing." Ransomware crime – viruses deployed to paralyze entire computer networks – has emerged since 2020 as a major threat for authorities. The most high-profile attacks have hit multinational companies, leaving lasting damage for months and leading to ransom demands amounting to tens of millions of euros. The trial opening Wednesday, February 11, before the Paris Judicial Court, provides a window into this daily cybercrime. Local governments, small and medium-sized businesses, law firms: The victims recorded between 2020 and 2022 were scattered across France, with losses ranging from several tens of thousands to more than €150,000. Only one victim paid the ransom, which was typically set at one bitcoin (about €58,000 at the time of this article's publication). However, all had their computers paralyzed by Phobos, a ransomware strain described by Europol as "discreet but highly effective." The main defendant, Ilia D., who is appearing alongside his wife, Marina D., is suspected of having carried out more than 100 attacks from Russia, including several dozen in France, using this ransomware. They were taken in for questioning in the summer of 2023 during a trip to Italy. Ilia D., 39, now stands trial for multiple offenses including attacks on an information system, extortion, aggravated money laundering and criminal conspiracy. His partner, 34, is charged with failure to justify resources and participation in a criminal conspiracy. "It is extremely rare for perpetrators of this type of crime to be apprehended. In this respect, I commend the work carried out by the judiciary in this case, even though my clients have little hope of being compensated," Lucas Vincent, lawyer for a law firm listed among the plaintiffs, told Le Monde. You have 61.85% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.
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