A Russian cybercriminal that is known worldwide as the “bot master” has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for federal crimes, according to Security Week.
Peter Levashov pleaded guilty three years ago to aggravated identity theft, intentional computer damage, wire fraud, and conspiracy. According to the prosecution’s written arguments, Levashov spent more than a decade running botnets, including one that had the potential to infect 200,000 machines, collect email addresses, logins, and passwords from infected systems. Prosecutors also stated that Levashov created forums for the purpose of selling and trading stolen identities and credit card numbers.
The U.S. District Judge Robert Chatigny recommended a sentence of at least 12 years due to the financial harm caused. He went on to say that Levashov was the mastermind behind three of the most prominent botnets known to authorities: Kelihos, Storm Worm, and Waledac. Then again, the judge ordered Levashov’s release three years after. There was also a 90-days delayed before imposing a fine or reparation to obtain additional information about Levashov’s financial situation.