IT Exec at Kyiv Prosecutor’s Office Illegally Mined Crypto on Office Systems

In Kyiv, Ukraine, investigators have found another example of someone using the systems at their workplace for illicit cryptocurrency mining. 

The Kyiv Prosecutor’s Office official Facebook page announced on Feb. 26 that it concluded a pre-trial investigation against an unnamed individual in collaboration with the State Bureau of Investigation. 

The accused miner was an information technology specialist that held executive positions in the State Judicial Information Systems for a long time. According to the Prosector’s Office, he illegally used the network equipment and systems to mine crypto with malware installed on the machines.

Furthermore, the defendant also allegedly provided placement to third parties on the office’s servers in exchange for money. This service reportedly resulted in the machines hosting “three online stores and a resource for Chopper motorcycle enthusiasts by August 2018.”

He is accused of illegal interference with the operation of computers and malware distribution and risks up to six years in prison. The Kyiv Prosecutor’s Office did not say how much or what kind of cryptocurrency the individual managed to mine. 

Not the first high profile crypojacking case

In August, the Security Service of Ukraine arrested power plant operators for mining cryptocurrency in the Yuzhnoukrainsk nuclear power plant facility. This was not even the first time that equipment meant for use in the nuclear power industry was misused for crypto mining.

In February 2018, several engineers at the Russian Federal Nuclear Center were arrested for attempting to use one of Russia’s largest supercomputers for Bitcoin (BTC) mining.