Caught in Thailand 17 Swiss companies blackmailed - police arrest Russian hackers

Four Russian hackers were arrested in Thailand for allegedly blackmailing 17 Swiss companies with ransomware. The Federal Administration was also affected. Switzerland has submitted an extradition request.

They are said to have installed blackmail software at 17 Swiss companies: Four suspected hackers were arrested in Thailand. According to the authorities, the suspects are Russian nationals, reports the online portal "The Nation". They were arrested in the popular tourist resort of Phuket.

They are accused of stealing 16 million dollars (around 14.5 million Swiss francs) in Bitcoins from around 1000 victims worldwide in addition to blackmailing the 17 companies from Switzerland. As the lead investigator said at a media conference, the arrest was made after police and immigration authorities searched several locations in Phuket. More than 40 pieces of evidence were seized, including laptops, smartphones and digital wallets.

Federal administration also affected

The men were wanted by both the US government and Switzerland. According to the authorities, Switzerland has already submitted an extradition request. The men allegedly installed the Phobos malware in the computer networks of the 17 Swiss companies affected between April 30, 2023 and October 26, 2024.

This is so-called ransomware that encrypts all files. The companies only regained access to their data after paying a ransom. It is not yet clear which companies were affected by the attacks.

According to Blick, the Basel-based software company Concevis could be among the victims. The National Center for Cyber Security published a corresponding announcement in November 2023. As a customer of Concevis, the Federal Administration was also affected by the cyberattack.