Tech Workers Admit to Executing Ransomware Attacks

Former Cybersecurity Firm Employees Plead Guilty to Ransomware Attacks

In a recent development, two individuals with prior experience at cybersecurity firms have admitted to orchestrating a series of ransomware attacks in 2023. The Department of Justice disclosed on Tuesday that Ryan Goldberg, aged 40, and Kevin Martin, aged 36, confessed to extorting $1.2 million in Bitcoin from a medical device company, along with targeting multiple other entities.

The indictment, which implicated Goldberg, Martin, and an undisclosed co-conspirator, was filed in October. Their modus operandi involved deploying ALPHV / BlackCat ransomware to encrypt and pilfer data from the victims. Notably, Martin and the third party were employed as ransomware negotiators at Digital Mint, a firm specializing in cybercrime and incident response, while Goldberg held a position as an incident response manager at Sygnia Cybersecurity Services.

ALPHV / BlackCat operates as a hacker collective utilizing a ransomware-as-a-service framework, where the malware maintainers receive a portion of the illicitly obtained funds from the cybercriminals leveraging the tool. The FBI, in response to the surge of attacks linked to ALPHV / BlackCat, developed a decryption utility in 2023 to aid the victims, including prominent entities such as Bandai Namco, MGM Resorts, Reddit, and UnitedHealth Group.

According to the DOJ’s indictment, Goldberg, Martin, and their associate aimed to extort substantial sums from various US-based victims, including a pharmaceutical corporation, a medical practice, an engineering entity, and a drone manufacturer.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva from the DOJ’s Criminal Division remarked, “These defendants misused their advanced cybersecurity expertise to perpetrate ransomware attacks—a criminal activity they should have been combatting. The Department of Justice is unwavering in its commitment to apprehending ransomware perpetrators within its jurisdiction using all available resources.”

Both Goldberg and Martin pleaded guilty to a single count of “conspiracy to obstruct, delay, or impact commerce through extortion.” Their sentencing is set for March 12th, 2026, with a possible maximum penalty of 20 years behind bars.