Overview
- A Stuttgart regional court convicted a 46-year-old Ukrainian of extortion and computer sabotage and imposed a seven-year prison term, with the judgment not yet final.
- Judges counted six successful ransomware attacks and 16 attempts across 22 companies and public institutions in the case.
- Investigators estimate roughly €2.3 to €2.4 million in economic losses, and six affected organizations reportedly paid ransom to regain access.
- Victims included manufacturers of medical products and Stuttgart’s Württembergisches Staatstheater, whose systems were encrypted with ransomware.
- Authorities link the defendant to the GandCrab ransomware-as-a-service network; two Russian suspects remain wanted internationally, and the convicted man was arrested in Slovakia in 2024 and extradited to Germany.