Angelo Martino, a former DigitalMint incident response negotiator, pleaded guilty to helping BlackCat (ALPHV) operators target and extort U.S. companies by sharing victims’ negotiation positions and insurance limits. The scheme involved two other former negotiators and led to multimillion-dollar ransom payments by victims, prompting DigitalMint to fire the employees and prosecutors to tie the activity to the broader BlackCat operation. #BlackCat #ALPHV #AngeloMartino #DigitalMint
Keypoints
- Angelo Martino pleaded guilty to participating in BlackCat (ALPHV) ransomware attacks against U.S. companies.
- Martino and two other former negotiators shared confidential victim negotiation and insurance information with BlackCat operators.
- The three operated as BlackCat affiliates, demanding ransoms, threatening data leaks, and paying administrators a 20% share.
- Victims included a financial services firm that paid $25,660,000 and a nonprofit that paid $26,793,000, among law firms, school districts, and medical facilities.
- DigitalMint terminated the employees, and the FBI has linked BlackCat to dozens of breaches and hundreds of millions in ransom payments.