Russian Developer of Trickbot Malware Sentenced to Over Five Years in Prison

Vladimir Dunaev, extradited from South Korea, pleaded guilty to multiple charges including computer fraud and identity theft

Vladimir Dunaev, a Russian national, has been sentenced to over five years in prison for his role in developing the Trickbot malware, which infected millions of computers worldwide, causing tens of millions of dollars in losses.
Dunaev was extradited to the United States from South Korea in 2021 and pleaded guilty in November to conspiracy to commit computer fraud and identity theft, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud.
The Trickbot malware, first identified in 2016, allowed cybercriminals to access infected computer systems to steal money or install ransomware. It was taken down in 2022.
Dunaev developed browser modifications and tools that aided in the credential harvesting and data mining of infected computers, making it more difficult for the malware to be detected and enhancing its ability to be remotely accessed by other cybercriminals.
Another member of the Trickbot group, Alla Witte, a Latvian national, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit computer fraud in June and was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.