A convicted hospital hacker wasn't involved in the recent U.S.-Russia prisoner swap but could be part of a future exchange, The Wall Street Journal reported Aug. 7.
Russian hacker Vladimir Dunaev, 41, is serving five years in U.S. federal prison for developing the Trickbot malware that infected hospitals' IT networks and shut down emergency departments. He has long been rumored to have been a part of prisoner exchange negotiations between the U.S. and Russia, the latest of which freed three Americans Aug. 1 including Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, according to the story.
The ransomware scheme that Mr. Dunaev was involved with reportedly extorted $100 million from U.S. hospitals and attacked dozens of healthcare institutions in 2020 alone.
Russian diplomats visited Mr. Dunaev last year, while a top spokesperson for the Kremlin previously brought him up related to discussions about a swap for Mr. Gershkovich, according to the Journal.