In early October, news leaked out of
Russia that authorities there had arrested and charged the malware kingpin
known as “Paunch,” the alleged creator and distributor of the Blackhole
exploit kit. Today, Russian police and computer security experts released
additional details about this individual, revealing a much more vivid picture
of the cybercrime underworld today.
Paunch, the accused creator of the
Blackhole Exploit Kit, stands in front of his Porsche Cayenne.
A statement released by the
Russian Interior Ministry (MVD) — the entity which runs the police
departments in each Russian city — doesn’t include Paunch’s real name, but
it says the Blackhole exploit kit creator was arrested in October along with a
dozen other individuals who allegedly worked to sell, develop and profit from
the crimeware package.
Russian security and forensics firm Group-IB,
which assisted in the investigation, released additional details, including
several pictures of the 27-year-old accused malware author. According to
Group-IB, Paunch had more than 1,000 customers and was earning $50,000 per
month from his illegal activity. The image at right shows Paunch standing in
front of his personal car, a Porsche Cayenne.
