Author name: Aladin

Two former employees of cybersecurity firms that sold services helping companies combat hackers have been indicted and accused of participating in a conspiracy, outside of their day jobs, to hack multiple US firms and extort them for millions of dollars. The two men are accused of deploying ransomware used by a prolific cybercriminal gang in attacks in 2023 against a medical device firm in Florida, a pharmaceutical firm in Maryland and a drone maker in Virginia, among other alleged victims. Kevin Tyler Martin of Roanoke, Texas, and Ryan Clifford Goldberg of Watkinsville, Georgia, face matching federal charges including interfering in interstate commerce through extortion and intentionally damaging a protected computer, according to an indictment filed in the US Southern District of Florida last month. The men — and an unnamed alleged co-conspirator — are accused of demanding approximately $10 million from the Florida-based medical device maker to unlock the firm’s data, and ultimately received about $1.27 million, according to the indictment. Attorneys for Martin and Goldberg declined to comment. It’s a case of cyber experts allegedly switching sides in the fight against ransomware. The thriving ransomware market has grown into a threat that has disrupted critical services across the US and cost the economy billions of dollars. Cybersecurity firms often work very closely with the FBI and international law enforcement to track down and collect evidence on ransomware gangs, which operate across borders and time zones. Many prominent security firms have been integral to helping law enforcement put accused ransomware operators in cuffs. “Companies, governments and people put a lot of trust in us to try to keep them safe,” Allan Liska, who has tracked ransomware for years for cybersecurity firm Recorded Future, told CNN. “Incidents like this erode that trust and make an already difficult job even more challenging.” Martin worked for DigitalMint, an Illinois-based firm that helps victims recover from ransomware attacks and in some cases pays ransoms, according to its website. Goldberg worked for Sygnia Cybersecurity Services, a multinational firm whose offerings include simulating ransomware attacks for clients. Martin acted “completely outside the scope of his employment,” DigitalMint said in a statement to CNN on Monday. “As expected, the indictment does not allege that the company had any knowledge of or involvement in the criminal activity. DigitalMint has been and continues to be a cooperating witness in the investigation and not an investigative target.”   “The charged conduct took place outside of DigitalMint’s infrastructure and systems,” DigitalMint’s statement continued. “The co-conspirators did not access or compromise client data as part of the charged conduct.” DigitalMint said the unnamed co-conspirator who is listed as a defendant in the indictment “may have also been a company employee.” “No one potentially involved in the charged scheme has worked at the company in over 4 months,” DigitalMint said. Sygnia Cybersecurity Services said it terminated Goldberg’s employment “immediately upon learning of the situation.” “While Sygnia is not a target of this investigation, we are continuing to work closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” Sygnia said in its statement. “We cannot provide further comment on the ongoing federal investigation.” In their alleged attacks, Martin and Goldberg are accused of using a ransomware known as ALPHV, one of the more prolific strains of ransomware in recent years. Like others in the ransomware ecosystem, ALPHV’s developers sell the code to hackers and then share the proceeds of the attacks, according to prosecutors and cyber experts. ALPHV was allegedly used in a debilitating ransomware attack last year on insurance billing giant Change Healthcare, which cut off health providers from billions in revenue and snarled service at pharmacies across the US. Martin and Goldberg are not accused of involvement in that attack.  

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signalled a renewed strategic alignment as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Saudi Chief of General Staff General Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili in Islamabad to review defence cooperation, counterterrorism coordination and regional stability. At the centre of the discussion was the recent historic strategic bilateral defence agreement signed during the prime minister’s visits to Riyadh over the past two months. Sharif described the pact as a “milestone” that both sides were now committed to operationalising through joint training, military exercises and expanded exchange of expertise. The prime minister stressed that Pakistan viewed security cooperation with the Kingdom as essential for regional peace, adding that the two countries shared a longstanding resolve to combat terrorism and extremism. He said the partnership, grounded in shared faith and mutual confidence, remained a critical pillar of Pakistan’s foreign and security policy. General Al-Ruwaili relayed congratulatory messages from the Saudi leadership and affirmed Riyadh’s strong desire to elevate the existing defence and strategic relationship. He reiterated the Kingdom’s commitment to take cooperation to “new heights” in the coming phase. Sharif also expressed appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s “consistent and unwavering support” to Pakistan, noting that the relationship had strengthened further through recent high-level engagement. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also attended the meeting. Pak-KSA defence agreement In September, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a landmark Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement, declaring that “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both,” according to a Pak-Saudi joint statement. The pact was signed during PM Shehbaz’s visit to Riyadh at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. It added that the agreement “reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieving security and peace in the region and the world, aims to develop aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression.” Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have longstanding strategic and defense cooperation but the latest pact is seen as significant against the backdrop of recent developments including Israeli strikes on Qatar.     

When it comes to voluntarily paying taxes on time to the IRS, crypto investors may not have a great record. At least, not according to an IRS review from 2023, which showed “the potential for” a mere 25% compliance rate. Translation: Only about a quarter of crypto investors are likely voluntarily complying with their tax obligations. But that low rate is likely to rise, because 2025 is the first year that investors with accounts on centralized crypto exchanges are subject to third-party reporting. If you sold or exchanged crypto this year and conducted those transactions on a centralized exchange such as Coinbase, the exchange is now required to report your sales and exchanges to the IRS on Form 1099-DA (Digital Assets). You’ll get a copy too, and it should be sent to you by January 30, 2026 in time for you to file your 2025 tax return. To be clear, that reporting does not create any new tax obligations for you. But it will make it easier for the IRS to know if you’re shirking them. How? If what you report on your return doesn’t match what appears on the 1099-DA form sent to the IRS, its Automated Underreporter system may flag the discrepancy and send you a notice to correct the mismatch, said Shehan Chandrasekera, head of tax strategy at CoinTracker, a provider of crypto tracking technology. But there is something in it for you, too. “The 1099, while it increases compliance, also makes life a lot easier for those who need to report on their investments,” said Tomer Siegal, vice president of product at Ledgible, a crypto tax software provider. What will not be on your 1099-DA There are, however, some important exceptions of certain crypto transactions that do not have to be reported on the 1099-DA, but which you will still need to report on your 2025 tax return next year. If you do get a 1099-DA with gross proceeds, given that it’s the inaugural year of the reporting requirement, “check that (your crypto exchange) reported it correctly,” Siegal said. Stablecoin, NFTs and wrapped tokens: Centralized exchanges issuing 1099-DAs do not have to report any qualified stablecoin sales you made under $10,000, nor any sale of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) below $600, nor transactions involving the transfers of wrapped tokens (which allow for easy use of one form of crypto — eg, bitcoin — on a decentralized platform that is based on another form — eg, Ethereum), Chandrasekera said. You, however, are still obligated to report them on your tax return. Crypto ETFs: Siegal noted that if you sold shares in an SEC-regulated bitcoin or ethereum exchange-traded fund this year, those transactions will be subject to third-party reporting. But they will appear on a Form 1099-B – the same form used for any of your sales through a broker involving stocks, bonds or derivatives. Crypto assets on defi exchanges are not subject to third-party reporting If you engaged in transactions this year over decentralized exchanges – which allow for peer-to-peer trading of crypto and you, not the platform itself, maintains possession of your holdings – you will not get a 1099-DA from those platforms. What’s more, a requirement that they begin issuing those forms in 2027 was repealed earlier this year.