What the F.B.I.’s most wanted cybercriminal can tell us about how the Russian government has created such a sophisticated hacking program. Guests: Michael Schwirtz, a reporter for The New York Times, and Arkady Bukh, a lawyer who defends accused Russian hackers. For more information on today’s episode, visit http://nyti.ms/2mmTd3i.
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
From the New York Times. I Michael borrow. This is the date
today. We asked
eyes most wanted cybercriminals what
his case tells us about the culture of hacking and Russia and how the government,
there is using that to its advantage and why it's
so hard for the? U S to prosecute those hackers, even when it
exactly who they are its Monday March. Thirteen
Ok, so I'm say hello to you and I don't ask you about our most wanted cyber criminal MIKE
Michael Schwartz has been investigating the story of a thirty three year old, russian hacker, Michael, thank you.
When, after the studio you're welcome
So, who is the United States governments most wanted cyber criminal, his name
guinea. Bogucharovo, he's known by the Alias Lucky one, two, three four five, his real name is you have Jenny
gotcha. This is a russian citizen he's thirty, three years old, he was last known to be living in Russia. Vogue each have a true. Twenty first
three criminal who commits cyber crimes across the globe with a stroke of a key in the click of a mouse he is wanted for creating and what is called a botanist, which is a network of infected computers and they were infected with a
now aware that he created called game over Zeus. Game over Zeus is the most so
MR candid and damaging bought net. We have ever encountered
this malware very simply allowed him to do was virus gives these people full control. Potentially over your whole computer system, came
access to upwards of a million computer?
this installs itself on your computer and sits there silently and tell you try to access your phone.
Information virus takes that information, gathering, law gains, passwords, email and plenty of your personal information. They can then use that to empty EU coffers and he turned in small and medium sized businesses all over the world about separate you're plastics company lost more than one hundred. Ninety eight thousand dollar be targeted and indian Tribes Police Department, PEST Control Company in Florida bag was ripped off for nearly seven million different banks. Hospitals were a big target of his stole more than a hundred million dollars from victims in the United States. These crimes have earned
mortgage have a place on the list of the world's most wanted. Cybercriminals
right. But this is a story about Russia and hacking. So is not just about money.
What Michael did you learn in your reporting about what the russian government is doing with cybercriminals to like, but we have so what we discovered in its? Not. We didn't discover this to the FBI working with
security. Researchers discovered this than an addition,
to committing bang fraud, but
of commanded, this sprawling network of infected computers and
What this allowed him to do was basically access anything that was in that computer and so
while he was conducting his bank fraud and stealing millions and millions of dollars
determined that the russian government, seeing it
opportunity to get access to upwards of a million. Computers was also looking for actionable intelligence, so their pig
backing on. What he's doing exactly, I believe
me through this a little bit the russian government discovers dad, but which is hacking which it is committing a serious set of crimes, and they do exactly what next and it's worth pointing out
The FBI was seeking. Russia's help,
in short, so they may what has got off to a bunch of is doing, and I don't know that this is a problem this case, but what FBI sore
you have told me, is that after, while they come to worry that informing russian government sources that thereafter, some criminal would leave.
The two that criminal beings are recruited and employed.
In Russia's intelligence programmes,
to basically there's a deal
I'm running a bank fraud scheme, the russian government gets wind of it and says: ok, you can continue your bank fraud. You can continue. Stealing money from Americans is always its. That's! Ok, that's ok as long as it's not Russians but you're
have to either give us a cut of what you are earning convict
mafia type of scenario and war.
Going to have to occasionally do some work for us or give us access to your criminal infrastructure so that we can do the work ourselves and how this plate
Specifically in Mr Gorbachev case since not clear somebody
who is at the reins of the sprawling network of infected computers, was searching them
putting in terms like top secret Defence department, putting in terms
weapons deliveries when it comes to the syrian war. Looking for information about russian mercenaries, who might be
fighting in Syria and those all sound like search is very much in the russian national gangs actual interest, and what we found is that when these searches were being conducted, this
occurring at times when there were some like gi geopolitical disruptions that
give some indication by what the search terms were being used for what is our line. Example is in two thousand thirteen. The Obama administration announced that it was going to start deliver, making small arms deliveries to Syria to rebels in Syria a what occurred,
that time is that computers in Turkey, which borders on Syria, obviously which were infected with
but let us now
began searching for documents.
Information related to arms deliveries, weapons deliveries clearly relevant to the
Events going on in the news is the thinking here as best you can tell from reporting that
when you find out criminal hacker, even other, send them away to prison or you
ask them to join your team that
to be the scenario only
workers in Russia must never get arrested. The only arrest you see of russian criminal cyber criminals,
but you see them when they happen to take
vacation. They go to Spain or they go to France. They go to Greece
and arrested by local police, very hast of the american authorities, and actually
to the United States, so it's the only way that law enforcement get their hands on them too, as a culture
pretty much supports hacking so long as it's not backing
so long as russian people exactly why
is that
I think russian law enforcement would tell you that you know if they are committing a crime on russian territory acquiring russian law. They have no reason to arrest them
is a source of ATLAS. Frustration that I also think
Does the proud of these had their proud of them? To some extent, their proud of this sort of activity.
Attacks against americans- and I do think, there's a bitter pride in that, but, as the Bogucharovo case shows, they can also find some use.
These guys, outside of their outside of their criminality and and and perhaps piggy back on their activities to conduct a little
we are on the side. The Russians can change us,
when I think of Russia Disease, I think of what Brok Obama said
smaller country, very weak or country, their economy doesn't produce
anything that aim by wants to buy, accept oil and gas, and
This is a weak country. Trying very hard to project. Strength is all,
this condoning of hacked,
and hacking it produced just
expression of that. That than Russia sees this as a way to kind of like that, above its weight
Part, that's true and put in it said this specifically. Putin has said that the Russian Federation is not in a position
The current moment to go to tow with the United States as one military superpower to another military superpower, but
in the cyber Rome. You can
create a lot of havoc and you can gain a strategic foothold in a way that is both cheap and
relatively easy and at this point
will illicit, much weaker response on the United States, the United States, obviously Vieira,
some government can go around blowing things up in the United States. It would suffer a colossal and damaging response to that sort of thing, but two.
These tools that are relatively accessible to gain seek
information. It can give you a leg up when you don't necessarily have
all the resources that your enemy might have to jockey for position in the world. So if Russia is proud of its hackers, how is this?
most famous most wanted hacker regarded inside Russia. You know with the
Almost nothing is said about him than that
nothing is said about him. Then that itself is,
Following a you know that the russian media is also fully controlled by the russian state, and so
the media is in covering his activities, is a suggestion that perhaps the Kremlin doesn't want the media to be covering his activities and then he's been largely silent in the last few years he was indicted in the United States he's got:
three million dollar bananas head from the FBI. It seems
the russian government or whoever might be controlling him is trying to keep him out of sight, though I
I do have some sources. You have told me that his he is or was fabulously wealthy. He lives in a large parliament and an apple which has this result
town on the Black Sea and not the fancies resort town. It's not. Monaco buttoning omits its comfortable. He has a thing, for
luxury cars, though apparently really likes american cars. I'm told he has some kind of a lincoln and iron rehash hierarchy.
He also has, as far as we know from his FBI file a Bengal cat, which is this cat that has bred to look like a leopard. This fantastic Annie is about which some of describe as a yacht
enjoy sailing on an occasionally me.
His way over to our Crimea, which are Russia
two years ago and is trying to turn
vacation zone, so he seems to be around but nobody's really talking about him
Thank you very much. You're welcome today, due to the work of the FBI and our partners, came over, Zeus has been neutralize, is out of the criminals. Hands and crypto locker remained inactive, but one significant part of the puzzle remains income
fleet- and that is that Mr Bogucharovo remains at large. We must not allow international borders to shield criminals from the law. In the case of both
half the same international coalition that brought down his bought net and his ransom? Where is now chasing him we'll be right back America's by pharmaceutical companies have one very important thing: in common: a common enemy they're, making great progress because their collaborating in ways they ve never done before. In a matter of weeks, they progressed from potential treatments for covered nineteen to Anna bodies and antivirals that have shown positive results.
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Hey Mister-
look it's Michael Barbara from New York Times hurry. You hello, my thank you.
Much for coming on shared with its great pleasure to be with you
So how did you get into the business
defending russian hackers. While the language is very important element, the link will create trust.
In the rear cases, when the United States does apprehend Russia hackers a lot of them call the same man, and there is a substantial just trust in the rush he had community to english speakers. The perception that they represent
the states, which is a man of his name, is our copy book. He was
used in the Soviet Union and he now lives in New York? He's a lawyer and there was a few successful cases I got here we're good result where the hacker for samples short baby
I just five so little girls do you say you have a reputation for taking
potentially really long sends and making it shorter actual. Let me in a way of getting good result for the hackers useful, a minimal GEO fire. We ve been careful to negotiate
the government, you said it's possible to negotiate with the: U S government, when it,
to these hackers. Can you talk to me about exactly how that works, or the government, of course, interested in the clients taking a plea
don't want to go to the trial, not one sure, dear carts, their vulnerability and their own agents that went form and filled. That's very, very strong argument, get good feel jet based on that, and surely our government always interested in the hackers helping governments agreed different project
and that's something we can explore with various client? Do me now at the? U S: government wants the help of the people there
according to make the? U S safe from the labelling that majority cases? That's what the interest that, of course, not every hackers interesting work. You give go right, some of them just think. We know they will come back to Russia and they don't wanna cop wager because with them and get killed him
there and they would sometimes it's a really interesting to hear you say-
did the United States wants to bring some of these hackers into can help the United States becomes.
Four, because we just heard from my colleague, Michael shorts there,
The russian government is doing the same thing when they find out about these guys back at Russia, but realistically that the United States, who are implemented that type of practice. We had that practice from drug dealers, gangsters here in New York, the russian government to actual war in bed, with a laugh, maybe ten, fifteen years, that this is a great practice and the basic we're taking
american approach that Russia's just learned about that at a later stage. Do the hackers that you end up working with its past. You can tell what
drives them to do this particular kind of work or the main work is Monday, generate large laughing. When we talk about the data bases where tens of millions of credit card numbers was stolen and that's generate humongous market, the price per court, this five, seven ten dollars-
depend upon bank and that the country so big money, anyone using its money it it's not a love of Russia. This is not an active of patriotism. Well is a combination. Of course the money is a main goal. A mean target but hawkers their work, the Holocaust. The wheel is spent thousands and thousands of our waste a year behind the computer, some twelve hours fourteen hours per day, and sometimes they hack your phone. They collect access to infrastructure
just for the purpose of collection or potential fail in future. It really clear that these hackers are very skilled there, really good at what they do is. Is there some common piece of biography a really typical back story about how they can
to do this work. Absolutely we talk about the hackers with great dedication, specifically computer science, and that up and it's back to culture back soviet Union. The way it was very important to have good mathematical, computer education and not the fact that it is much harder to earn money back leave me Europe. They are very bright guys and they feel that they need to be compensated for their knowledge and when its coupled with the factor that they will not get extradited. If court, that's what cleat breeding ground for the hackers do, what they think they see that as an opportunity to earn money. Well, you cannot get really punished as long as you are travelling outside the fresh Russia have close to one hundred percent denial rate on their extradition. Request from Russia shall be, I feel, very comfortable d.
Absolutely sure that their russian citizens, they will not be extradited, and I do not remember he be single case where the russian citizen was the Bible. So a quick question about you. Are you an american citizen, so
can you explain to me why, as an american citizen, you choose to defend these people, but there is
reasons I mean course I'm a lawyer law and the law school that human take even unpopular case nother think many hawkers willing for this year's government. In reality, we say flats lots of american companies. It's really huge help compared with flour and through the key tool. I too feel that almost all of them off my hackers, admit responsibility and they take a plea, filled. The lawyer who helped the client the view
the chair helped your comment: will save money can't get to go to the trial and try to prove their innocence in the past year in feels like hacking by Russian says, because
pretty much the single biggest thread to unite
states national security. It may have actually been a factor in
ass presidential campaign. I wonder
do you see russian hacking as a true threat to american security? I thought my absolutely I do remember some ten years ago. Did they hacking delimited specifically to the bank and courage Court now, by far different, we talk about the corporate, but thought about. Political attacks are getting worse and worse and being
exploited by the russian hackers. I warmly. Thank you very much. I really appreciate you taken some time on Sunday to do this in cooking,
here's what else you need to know today the Times reports that President Trump peasant
at least five hundred major positions unfilled inside the federal government and has fallen
far by President Obama, in appointing key officials, we
of so many people in government. Even me, I look at some of the jobs and its people over people
people, I say what all these people do. You don't need all those jobs now they'll be here
anyway, we are not going to be no, it's fun at this stage,
meant alone. Trump has left thirty top positions unfilled and
congressional Budget Office is expected to release its review of the Republic and healthcare plan as early as today, the time
asked seven experts to conduct their own analysis. They estimate that by the
you're twenty twenty six. The proposal could cause between aid
and twenty million Americans to lose their health insurance and between five and eighteen,
million to lose their medical coverage. That's it for the daily. I Michael Varvara sooner moral support for the day
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Transcript generated on 2020-07-19.