The Russian, who offered a Tesla specialist $1,000,000 for installing malware into the company’s network in Reno, Nevada, was pleaded guilty.
In August 2020, we talked about the arrest of a Russian citizen Yegor Igorevich Kryuchkov, who came to the United States on a tourist visa.
He was accused of collaborating with a group of Russian cybercriminals and arrived in the United States on purpose, intending to recruit one of the Tesla employees working at the company’s factory in the city of Reno, Nevada. Allegedly, for this Kryuchkov received $250,000 from his accomplices.
According to court documents, Kryuchkov offered an employee $ 1,000,000 to install malware on the company’s network. It was assumed that the malware would allow hackers to connect to Tesla’s IT systems and steal data, which was then planned to be used to extort a multimillion-dollar ransom from the company.
Finally, the plan failed, as the insider, whom they tried to recruit, reported about the plans of criminals to the FBI. Subsequent meetings between Kryuchkov and a Tesla employee were monitored and recorded, and then Kryuchkov was arrested as he tried to leave the country.
At first, the Russian did not plead guilty, claiming that he could prove the opposite in court. In this case, if the jury found him guilty, Kryuchkov would face up to five years in prison, up to three years under supervision and a fine of up to $250,000.
But, as it became known now, Kryuchkov still pleaded guilty and agreed to spend in prison from four to ten months, as well as remain under supervision for the next three years after his release.
Kryuchkov will not be fined, but Tesla will have to pay $14,824. Let me also remind you that I wrote about the IS researcher that found that the Tesla Model 3 interface is vulnerable to DoS attacks.
