Hackers accused of ‘ransomware’ iOS attack arrested in Russia

By

Oleg Pliss

Last month, a number of Apple users in Australia woke up to find that their iOS devices had been locked by an “Oleg Pliss,” and that they needed to pay a ransom if they wanted to continue using them. While a few people thought iCloud could have been hacked, Apple denied those rumors.

Now it seems that the hackers involved with the ransom demands have been detailed by authorities in Russia, according to a new report from the Sydney Morning Herald.

Aged 17 and 23, the alleged hackers are both residents of the Southern Administrative District of Moscow, and one has been previously tried for a similar case.

It is reported that they were caught on camera withdrawing the ransom money from an ATM. It has also been revealed that they gained access to Apple IDs via phishing scams. The targeted users were mainly in Australia and Russia, although a few also lived in the U.S. Affected users took to Apple’s support forum, along with social media, to discuss the issue.

In all, it goes to show why users should be careful when receiving unusual emails supposedly from Apple, as well as emphasizing the importance of the two-step ID verification process.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

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