Ukrainian Hacker Extradited From Spain Pleads Guilty in Nefilim Ransomware Attacks on Global Firms

A Ukrainian citizen has admitted guilt in connection with a series of ransomware attacks carried out using the Nefilim strain, targeting companies in the United States and other countries.

Artem Aleksandrovych Stryzhak, 35, was extradited to the US from Barcelona, Spain, earlier this year following his arrest in June 2024. According to the US Department of Justice (DoJ), he pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy to commit computer fraud.

Court documents reveal that Stryzhak joined the Nefilim ransomware-as-a-service operation in June 2021. He was granted access by the group’s administrators in return for 20% of any ransom payments he generated.

The affiliate was reportedly encouraged to go after large enterprises with annual revenues exceeding $200 million. To identify suitable targets, Stryzhak and others relied on publicly available business intelligence platforms such as ZoomInfo.

Companies based in the US, Canada, and Australia were prioritized. Like many ransomware campaigns, the attacks involved breaching corporate networks, stealing sensitive information, and encrypting systems. Victims were then pressured to pay a ransom for the decryption key or risk having their data published on a “corporate leaks” website operated by the rans

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