Hacker behind the “Scan4you” Malware Scanning Service Sentenced 14 Years in Jail

Ruslans Bondars, 38, sentenced 14 years in Jail for running Malware Scanning Service “Scan4you” that helps for malware authors to scan their malware to find whether it would be detected by any other Anti-Virus software.

Ruslans, a Man who resided in Latvian has been arrested for running illegal Anti-Virus operation called “Scan4you,” in this year may for provide some of the sophisticated services for the world’s most destructive hackers to perform various detection test and evade the Legitimate antivirus software to compromise the victims.

Bondars operates Scan4you around 7 years (2009-2016) meanwhile he provided various information to cyber criminals including the details that will determine whether their malware would be detected by antivirus software.

According to Department of Justice, He was arrested under conspiracy to violate the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and one count of computer intrusion with intent to cause damage and aiding.

Legitimate malware scanning tools such as Virus Total let inform to the users and notify shared data about uploaded files to the Anti-virus community but Scan4you promise to the users that they never share the information about their scanned files.

Damages using Scan4you

Scan4you customer who scan their malware that used to steal approximately 40 million credit and debit card numbers and more than  70 million addresses, phone numbers and sensitive information that cause $292 million in expenses for affected victims.

Similarly, another customer os this tool who scanned “Citadel” malware was spreading and infect over 11 million computers worldwide that resulted in over $500 million loss.

This Citadel malware authors directly using Scan4you API which is integrated with the malware and inject the victim’s computer which helps to avoid the malware test directly into Scan4you website.

Not only this two malware but there are hundreds of customer who have scan their malware using this Scan4you platform and infect many organizations, government entities, universities.

“At its height, This tool was one of the largest services of its kind and had at least thousands of users.  Malware developed with the assistance of Scan4you included some of the most prolific malware known to the FBI and was used in major computer intrusions committed against American businesses.”

According to the  FBI Special Agent in Charge DeSarno, “We continue to face sophisticated cyber threats from state-sponsored hackers, hackers for hire, organized cyber syndicates, and terrorists,”

“This prosecution should serve as an example to those who assist or facilitate criminal hacking activity that they will be exposed and held accountable no matter where they are in the world.”