An alleged software mastermind of the notorious LockBit ransomware group will soon be extradited to the United States to stand trial on charges that his criminal enterprise extorted at least half a billion dollars from victims worldwide, including U.S. businesses and hospitals, the Department of Justice (DOJ), said.

Rostislav Panev, a dual Russian-Israeli citizen, is the third of seven known members of the LockBit criminal group to be arrested and in custody for launching cyberattacks on more than 2,500 victims in 120 countries by threatening cyber sabotage if they didn’t pay a ransom.

Adrianne Appel writes regulatory news, policy, and trends for Compliance Week. She previously reported about policy developments for Bloomberg Law and Bloomberg Government. Email: adrianne.appel@complianceweek.com LinkedIn:...