Accused ‘NetWalker’ Ransomware Hacker Agrees to Plead Guilty

A former Canadian government employee has agreed to plead guilty in the US to charges that he worked for a ransomware gang that researchers say has reaped almost $50 million in illegal payments during the past two years.

Sebastien Vachon-Desjardins has agreed to plead guilty to hacking-related charges, according to court documents filed Tuesday in federal court in Tampa. He was accused of working as part of a digital extortion group known as NetWalker.

The ransomware gang has targeted US hospitals, law enforcement organizations, schools, colleges and universities, according to the FBI. The blockchain-analysis firm Chainalysis Inc. has determined ...