Trickbot is computer malware, capable of stealing sensitive information, such as banking details and other credentials. It also goes beyond that, as the malware is also modular, meaning that its capabilities can be extended.
TrickBot that was first discovered in 2016, has infected U.S. hospitals and lots of healthcare systems, forcing them to shut down their operations due to using the Ryuk ransomware. It is believed that hackers used TrickBot to deliver Ryuk on infected systems.
And this time, the U.S. officials have arrested a Latvian woman who worked on the malware's source code
The U.S. Department of Justice said that the Latvian woman was part of the Trickbot malware crew, where she served as its programmer. Her job was to code, and control the malware, as well as developing the ransomware for infected computers.
In detail, U.S. investigators said Witte oversaw "the creation of code related to the monitoring and tracking of authorized users of the Trickbot malware, the control and deployment of ransomware, obtaining payments from ransomware victims, and developing tools and protocols for the storage of credentials stolen and exfiltrated from victims infected by Trickbot."
Alla Witte was 55 when she was arrested.
Cyberattacks have become part of the political war on the internet between opposing countries, or opponents, or business rivals.
And among others, TrickBot was one of the damaging.
The malware's activities created unrest among those that use computers for their operations.
And Alla Witte who was born in the Soviet city of Rostov-on-Don, was among those who created that fear.
While Witte was not the administrator of TrickBot, but she was an integral part of the malware gang.
It is said that Witte began working for TrickBot in about 2018.
In real life, Witte was a sales manager and teacher in the 1980s.
Witte is a Latvian citizen who goes online with the name "Max."
She resided in Paramaribo, Suriname, and was arrested on February 6, when she flew to Miami, Florida, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
According to court documents (PDF), Witte was one of 17 suspects behind the Trickbot malware, which is believed to have infected millions of computers across the world since 2015.
Officials charged Witte in 19 counts in a 47-count indictment, including bank fraud, wire fraud and multiple counts of conspiracy stemming from what authorities described as her role in the network.
It is said that her arrest is because she was not good in hiding her identity. As a matter of fact, she even hosted in-dev versions of the Trickbot malware on her personal website.
With her arrest, Witte became the first member of the Trickbot gang to be arrested.
Following this, U.S. officials said that they are after other Trickbot suspects that live largely in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Suriname.
This is seen from the court documents filed in Witte’s case that are heavily redacted to hide the name of the other 16 Trickbot operators.
