Canadian hackers accused of hijacking university computers to mine cryptocurrency
Supercomputers were being used to achieve their crypto-mining ambitions.
Hackers. By Shutterstock/Cybernews
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- A US grand jury indicted two Canadians for allegedly hacking university computers to mine cryptocurrency.
- Prosecutors say the suspects targeted US educational institutions with supercomputers in several states.
- The indictment says malware helped steal credentials, control systems, and run mining software for profit.
- If convicted, each defendant could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
A federal grand jury has indicted two Canadian nationals, accusing them of hacking computers at multiple US universities to mine cryptocurrency.
35-year-old Ryan James Roach and 41-year-old Mathiew James Stubbings are being charged with conspiracy to obtain information from protected computers and to cause intentional damage to these systems.
According to the indictment, Roach and Stubbings used private servers in multiple countries to hack into computers, steal login credentials, and secretly mine cryptocurrency.
These servers uploaded malware to gain control of the systems. In addition, data was exfiltrated to servers the defendants controlled.
In some cases, mining software was installed on the victims’ computers with the sole purpose of using their processing power to mine cryptocurrency for financial gain.
Educational institutions in New York, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Massachusetts were among the victims.
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“Roach and Stubbings targeted educational institutions in the United States that had supercomputers and researched security vulnerabilities in the victim computer networks, using a variety of methods to gain access, including using a server and compromised computers from another victim to conceal their identities,” the US Department of Justice says in a statement.
Once they gained access to a victim’s network, Roach and Stubbings used sophisticated techniques and tools to conduct reconnaissance and expand their access within the network.
Reportedly, the suspects damaged 10 protected computers between June 2016 and December 2019, causing damage for at least $5,000.
Roach was arraigned before a judge on Tuesday, November 3rd. Stubbings has yet to be extradited from Canada to the US.
If found guilty, the defendants face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Last year, numerous US universities were breached, exposing sensitive information from current and former students, alumni, and employees, including Columbia University, Princeton University, and the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn).
