MegaCortex

Ukrainian Developer of LockerGoga, MegaCortex and Nefilim Ransomware Sentenced to 12 Years and Nine Months

A 52-year-old Ukrainian national has been sentenced by the Zurich District Court to 12 years and nine months in prison for his role as the lead developer of the LockerGoga, MegaCortex and Nefilim ransomware strains. The court determined that the malware he created was deployed against companies across dozens of countries, causing approximately 100 million Swiss francs in damages in the cases examined. Notable victims included train manufacturer Stadler Rail, which suffered the theft of around 500 GB of confidential data and a $6 million ransom demand in 2020, as well as climate equipment supplier Meier Tobler and banking software developer Crealogix. The defendant claimed he was performing ordinary cybersecurity consulting and was unaware of the intended use of his code, but investigators found ransom demand templates alongside the source code, undermining his defense. He has been in custody since October 2021 as part of a wider international investigation into attacks affecting more than 1,800 individuals and organizations in 71 countries. Upon release he will be banned from entering Switzerland for ten years, although the verdict remains subject to appeal.