A 36-year-old Algerian has just been sentenced to two years in prison for 10 ransomware attacks carried out against French companies with JobCrypter.
Hacking is a practice that consists of circumventing computer security. This is of course punishable by law. An Algerian, aged around 30, was sentenced for having carried out 10 attacks against French companies.
This case concerns a young Algerian of 36 years old, who comes from Tizi Ouzou. His name is Djamel Oukidja but is known under the pseudonym of “Djamel Muscle” or even “Hacker-MoDi”. He used a practice that uses “ransomware” through “JobCrypter” to carry out 10 computer attacks against SMEs between 2016 and 2021. Since then, he has been the target of French authorities.
Ransom demands of up to 1000 euros
The tactic was effective: the targets were “infected” via e-mail. The hacker deceived his victims by impersonating known organizations, who found themselves trapped after opening links or attachments that seemed harmless at first sight.
Once the trap was closed, he demanded a ransom ranging from 300 to 1000 euros which was deposited in the form of a “text file”. He sent a message requesting payment in the form of PaySafeCard cards and the sending of codes. These ransom demands were accompanied by rather ambiguous messages, presuming to ask for help, we can read statements like “We are unemployed human beings”, just wanting to “feed our families”.
The companies attacked, still in difficulty
One of the companies targeted is TIB, an SME in Eure-et-Loir. She was attacked by the Hacker in February 2021 but still pays the costs since she did not give in to blackmail. Initially, the company was on “shutdown” for two days in order to get everything back on track. Then, more than a year later, the company is still struggling to “redo work that had already been done”.
According to Antoine Vasseur, the company’s general secretary, new encrypted files are discovered over time, and this company therefore finds itself slowed down.
Djamel, identified by the French authorities, he is auditioned in Algeria
The file was followed by the cyber section of the Paris prosecutor’s office will lead to the identification of a suspect. Investigators from the specialized brigade of the Paris police headquarters managed to identify Djamel Oukidja thanks to the email addresses used, some of which are in his name.
Then, aware of the investigation, the police identified 26 Western Union money orders received by the suspect between 2014 and 2016 reaching 8,000 euros in total.
France made a request for “international criminal assistance” which resulted in the arrest of Djamel Oukidja in Algeria in February 2021.
The Algerian authorities therefore searched the Hacker’s home where they found his computer, several identity documents but also proof of address, bank card numbers, access codes to bank accounts. Most interesting was the discovery of traces of use of remote access spyware.
He was then interviewed by the Algerian authorities.
The Hacker denies all the facts
Djamel tried to give some unconvincing explanations. He initially confessed to having used some of the email addresses identified but then released himself from any involvement in this case. He explains that these filings of mandates are the result of remunerated services that he offered to various French companies.
Deputy prosecutor Jean Christophe Michard bounces back on these explanations, in an almost humorous tone, saying: “Do you really think that a company will issue such mandates to solve its computer problems? “. According to him, this is not the way to proceed when a company wishes to hire a service provider. He adds that according to him, the Hacker thought he was risking nothing because he lived in Algeria, so he did not even cover his tracks by “thinking he was safe”.
To conclude, according to the ZDNET media, Djamel was sentenced to 2 years in prison and a fine of 5,000 euros by the Paris court.
