A Russian cybercriminal who calls himself VorVzakone (Crime Lord) made an unprecedentedly bold statement. He announced a beginning of an attack on the U.S. banking system. According to the hacker, a hundred of his "colleagues" that the hacker would personally select would take part in the large-scale operation he called "Blitzkrieg".
A hacker who calls himself vorVzakone made some bold statements on the Internet. He reported that he would proceed to select candidates for a major attack on the computers of the U.S. banking system. In addition to a written statement, he released a video. In the video a man with a shaved head shows expensive cars he owns, and a new house built on the money that was allegedly earned illegally in cyberspace.
VorVzakone stated that he has already taken $5 million from the accounts of the customers of U.S. banks and got away with it.
The U.S. intelligence agencies have been quiet, just like the Russian law enforcement agencies, but the overseas media expressed concerns. Major U.S. publications have reported on the "Plan Blitzkrieg" conceived by a Russian cyber-craftsman and talked about the incredible arrogance of the criminals who get onto the U.S. soil through the internet wires.
Russia is not concerned not only because the attacker has chosen a distant country as his target, but also because the video message and self-PR look very naive.
In the video that concerned the foreign media, a man who identified himself as vorVzakone, introduced himself and his "off-line" friend on the background of an expensive SUV. The men in the video do not hide their faces and speak like gangsters from the 1990s. With his hands in the pockets and sunglasses on, the hacker offered the viewers to take a look at his lifestyle. Then vorVzakone, accompanied by his "representative," got in his car and drove away.
The video then moved into his house, whose lavish interior surprised no one other than the men in the video. The furniture in the building is scarce, kitchen has inexpensive appliances, and bedroom has an economy class bed. His wife, who, apparently, was positioned as a servant, served snacks to the host and guest. There were sandwiches with red caviar on the table that were shown by the cameraman as if they were an incredible jewel of the "rich" house.
It is not clear who vorVzakone intended to impress with this video, but the Russian segment of the Internet, as opposed to the Americans, found no great surprises. Most likely, the video was targeted at the foreign audience.
Another video that vorVzakone and his associates published online revealed part of the plan "Operation Blitzkrieg". The hackers reported that they would prevent customers of banks from carrying out operations through Skype messenger. The statements of the "brazen hackers" were also viewed by experts from the RSA company that deals with computer security. Experts did not analyze the actual capabilities of cybercriminals, but said that this was the first time they saw such a public address.
After the release of both videos, the FBI provided no response. However, another theory emerged that suggests that vorVzakone is an intelligence project that will push the real hackers to break into a non-existent project, and this way they will be caught. Perhaps among those who falls for the bait of vorVzakone there will be people that law enforcement agents have been long interested in. A source in a law enforcement agency who spoke to "PRAVDA.Ru ' thinks of it as a joke:
"I am sure that this is not only not a project of special services, but not even a project of this gentleman in the video, but just a joke," he said.
Apparently, Russia has learned to keep cool, which cannot be said about the Western journalists who really froze in anticipation of a "Russian miracle".
Anton Frolov
Pravda.Ru