Lightning struck deep in the central Idaho mountains on July 24, 2024, igniting the Wapiti Fire that burned across 129,063 acres around Stanley, Idaho a place known for its scenic vistas and idyllic rural landscape.Local communities evacuated, then returned home when the danger had passed. But for ranchers who graze livestock here, evacuation doesnt end when the smoke clears.When federal land burns, livestock often cannot return to the area for two years, according to federal land use and forest management plans. Two years of lost income and the added cost of purchasing feed and repairing infrastructure can be as devastating to rural communities as the fires themselves.I study the impacts of environmental policy on rural communities, particularly those that provide the food, fiber, timber, and minerals that society relies on. Research and ranchers experiences, including in my home state of Idaho, raise questions about whether the two-year rule, implemented decades ago, is really necessary and whether its actually doing more harm than good.2-year delay can tip ranchers into the redWildfires are burning more often and across more land in the West today than in the past with hotter, drier conditions. To make matters worse, many landscapes are threatened by invasive cheatgrass that burns easily and regrows faster after fires than native plants do.Often, restoration efforts are focused on slowing the spread of cheatgrass. Herbicides and plant seeding are marshaled to slow the growth of cheatgrass after fires.Buried in the multitude of federal land management plans that guide the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Services management actions is another restoration toola two-year grazing rest period after wildfires for land leased to ranchers. Some plans require a two-year break before cattle can return to the land, and some only recommend it.That two-year rest can tip the scales for ranchers finances into the red, forcing some to sell cattle herds that took decades to develop, lease other grazing landsoften at a financial lossor close up shop altogether.Few question that the land must have a chance to recoverranchers livelihoods depend on healthy rangelandbut is it necessary to wait two years and sacrifice a rural community to do it?Wildfires in Idaho can burn wide swaths of forest and rangeland. [Photo: Jared L. Talley/Boise State University]Grazing after fires has pros and consIndigenous communities across the West used fire since time immemorial to manage these sprawling landscapes. Fire can clear underbrush and dead plant material. It can provide new growth for deer, elk, and cattle to feed on.Livestock graze on invasive grasses when native plants are dormant, which can help increase native species and reduce invasive grasses, including varieties that easily burn. Reducing invasive grasses reduces risk of future fire. Trampled plant material can increase soil moisture, a benefit to the arid soils of the West.There is also evidence, however, that grazing after wildfires can increase soil erosion as hooves break up sensitive soils. And grazers also eat native plants that take longer to establish.But there are caveats to some of the evidence used to underpin arguments for a two-year break.A 2016 study documented increased soil erosion when grazing resumed two weeks after a fire. But cattle, deer, and elk would not likely be on a fire scar within two weeks.A 2019 study of post-fire impacts suggests that the steepness of the burned areas and grazing immediately following a fire can increase soil erosion, but it also acknowledges that it is currently unknown how the impact of livestock changes over time after wildfires.Similarly, a 2014 study found that during the first growing season after a fire, grazing that removed up to 50% of the biomass did not affect recovery. It found no evidence . . . to suggest complete rest from grazing was required to conserve plant productivity. Instead, it found that recovery was more responsive to weather than grazinga factor on burned and unburned areas alike.Not all fires are the same. They vary in burn severity, a measure of the impact to plant and soil ecology. Plants and soils respond differently to fire depending on a host of factors, from weather and topography to fire-return intervals and human interaction.Instead of a blanket two-year rest policy, the rule could be revised to demand a tailored decision-making process that accounts for variance in fire severity, plant communities and weather. In my view, allowing strategic and intentional grazing in post-fire landscapes benefits rural communities, while removing it can sound a death knell.Recovery, or notRural ranching communities in the West hold their breath every fire season.The fires can be devastating, but so can the recovery time. Fences and barns burn. Cattle herds are sold in lieu of purchasing expensive feed, and then must be rebuilt later. Lines of credit collapse, generational ranches are sold, and rural community traditions are lost.In Boise, residents are already looking forward to spring, when skis will be replaced with mountain bikes and hiking shoes. The foothills, where another 2024 fire burned nearly a quarter of the Boise River Wildlife Management Area, will be emerald green with invasive grasses, and thousands of deer and elk will graze through the burned area to their summer feeding grounds. No rules can stop them.Near Stanley, where the Wapiti Fire burned, cattle ranchers are working hard to find unburned land to lease for their herds. Theyre making plans to rebuild fences and working with the banks to keep their operations running until they can return to their grazing allotments in two years. Research suggests that the wait doesnt always need to be so long.Jared L. Talley is an assistant professor of environmental studies at Boise State University.Phoenix Willard, a student in environmental journalism at Boise State University, contributed to this article.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

In 2018, L.L. Bean ended its century-old lifetime return policy, limiting returns to one year after purchase and requiring receipts. The demise of this popular policy sparked backlash, with several customers filing lawsuits.It also inspired my team of operations management researchers to study how customers respond when retailers make their return policies more strict. Our key finding: Whether they often or rarely return products theyve purchased, consumers objectunless those retailers explain why.I work with a group of researchers examining product return policies and how they affect consumers and retailers.As we explained in an article published in the Journal of Operations Management, we designed experiments to study whether and why return policy restrictions irk customers. We also wanted to understand what retailers can do to minimize backlash after making it harder for customers to return stuff.We conducted three experiments in which we presented scenarios to 1,500 U.S. consumers who played the role of loyal customers of a fictional retailer. We examined their reactions to the fictional retailers return policy restrictions, such as charging a 15% restocking fee and limiting open-ended return windows to 365, 180, and 30 days.Participants became less willing to buy anything from the fictional retailer after it restricted its long-standing lenient return policy. They also said they would become less willing to recommend the retailer to others.This occurred because the customers began to distrust the retailer and its ability to offer a high-quality service. The backlash was stronger when the restriction was more severe. Even those consumers who said they usually dont return any products often reacted negatively.When the fictional retailer announced its new, harsher return policy using official communication channels and provided a rationale, there was less backlash. Consumers found the changes more justified if the retailer highlighted increased return abuse, in which customers return products theyve already used, or the high cost of processing returns.You might presume that making it harder and more costly to return stuff could drive some shoppers away. Our research shows that the concern is valid and explains why. It also shows how communicating return policy changes directly with customers can help prevent or reduce backlash against retailers.Why it mattersAmericans returned products worth an estimated US$890 billion to retailers in 2024. Processing a single item typically costs $21 to $46. Most of this merchandise ends up in landfills.The rise of e-commerce and other technological changes have contributed to this trend. Another factor is the ease with which consumers may return stuff long after making a purchase and get a full refund.Many other retailers besides L.L. Bean have done away with their long-standing lenient return policies. Over the past decade, for example, Macys, a department store chain, and Kohls, a big-box clothing store chain, have shortened the time frames for returns.Macys restricted its open-ended return window to one year in 2016, further winnowed it to 180 days in 2017, then to 90 days in 2019. It then stopped accepting returns after 30 days in 2023. Kohls didnt have any time limit on returns it would accept until 2019. Then it imposed a 180-day limit. Others, such as fast-fashion giants Zara and H&M, now charge their customers fees when they return merchandise.However, research shows that customers value no-questions-asked return policies and see them as a sign of high-quality service. And when these arrangements become the industry standard, customers can get angry if retailers fail to meet it.Interestingly, most retailers that restricted their policies didnt tell customers directly. Instead, they quietly updated the new policies on websites, store displays, and receipts. Although not drawing attention to bad news might appear prudentas most customers wouldnt notice the changes that waydozens of threads on Reddit about these changes suggest that this isnt always true.What still isnt knownWe focused on restrictions on refunds and how long after a purchase customers could return merchandise. Other restrictions, such as retailers making heavily discounted items ineligible for returns, could also be worth investigating.The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.Huseyn Abdulla is an assistant professor of supply chain management at the University of Tennessee.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Spiralling structures, marble treads and metal balustrades feature among Dezeen's roundup of the 10 most interesting staircases from 2024.Photo by Zooey BraunCadenza by ETH ZurichResearchers at technology university ETH Zurich worked with ROK Architects to create this spine-like concrete spiral staircase.Showcased in the NEST building, a laboratory for experimental fabrication techniques, the Cadenza staircase is composed of 16 identical prefabricated concrete steps made from a 3D-printed mould.Find out more about Cadenza Photo courtesy of Locke and Tatjana Von SteinLocke am Platz, Switzerland, by Tatjana Von SteinLondon design studio Tatjana Von Stein balanced modern and classical elements for the design of the Locke hotel in Zurich, Switzerland.Designed to reflect the area's cultural identity, the space features a staircase clad with stainless steel panels in order to contrast with its terracotta-coloured carpet.Find out more about Locke am Platz Photo by Michiel HendryckxWesterpunt, Belgium, by Studio MotoBelgian practice Studio Moto used concrete to create this ring-shaped viewpoint on a beach in De Panne.Its design, which was informed by the surrounding sand dunes, is made up of a series of straight stair sections that lead up to a lookout area at the top of the structure.Find out more about Westerpunt Photo courtesy of RosewoodRosewood So Paulo, Brazil, by Philippe StarckBrazilian materials were used for the interiors of this penthouse at the Rosewood So Paulo hotel.Created by French designer Philippe Starck, the 12,000-square-feet penthouse features marble sourced from Paran that was used to create a swooping staircase with floating stone treads.Find out more about Rosewood So Paulo Photo by Giorgos SfakaianakisArt House, Greece, by Kallos TurinArt House is a monolithic, concrete residence nestled into a leafy hillside site in Athens designed by architecture studio Kallos Turin.To avoid creating a "rigid home", the studio added a sloping, cantilevered staircase that spans the home's four storeys and contrasts against its cubic facade.Find out more about Art House Photo by Massimo PistoreDoubt Staircase, Italy, by Carsten HllerThis spiral Doubt Staircase connects the ground and first floors at the historic palazzo Diedo in Venice.Created by artist Carsten Hller to be both an artwork and functional staircase, its structure was built from stone steps supported on black steel frames with an incline of five degrees to make users uneasy.Find out more about Doubt Staircase Photo by Beer SingnoiTree O'Clock, Thailand, by Studio LocomotiveA large, sculptural staircase mirrors the external forms of this community centre in Thailand completed by architecture practice Studio Locomotive.Named Tree O'Clock, the hub features ziggurat-like staircases that provide access to the rooftop gardens as well as amphitheatre-style seating space.Find out more about Tree O'Clock Photo by Tom RossNorthcote House, Australia, by LLDS ArchitectsNorthcote House in Melbourne, which is characterised by a curved plywood roof and textured concrete walls, was designed by local studio LLDS Architects for its founder partners.Its quirky interior has bespoke elements made using computer numerically controlled (CNC) manufacturing and robotics, which include the home's swooping plywood staircase.Find out more about Northcote House Photo courtesy of DieselDiesel store, US, by DieselA red lacquered spiral staircase contrasts with the raw metal surfaces found at fashion brand Diesel's store in the Miami Design District.Designer Glenn Martens led the creative direction of the store, which is defined by an industrial style intended to reflect "the brand's signature bold attitude".Find out more about Diesel store Photo by Jack LovelThe Brick House, Australia, by Studio RoamArchitecture practice Studio Roam used oozing mortar joints to create a "crusty crown" on the exterior of The Brick House in Perth.Brick, concrete, timber and metal were used throughout the home's interior. Among the notable designs is an interior staircase, which has concrete lower steps before transitioning to a sculptural metal frame.Find out more about The Brick House The post The top 10 staircases of 2024 appeared first on Dezeen.

It's bold, pink and looks nothing like KFC.

Its past time we applauded the creative skills of LLMsand it might make us appreciate humans more too.

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Dec 21, 2024Ravie LakshmananRansomware / CybercrimeA dual Russian and Israeli national has been charged in the United States for allegedly being the developer of the now-defunct LockBit ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operation since its inception in or around 2019 through at least February 2024.Rostislav Panev, 51, was arrested in Israel earlier this August and is currently awaiting extradition, the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) said in a statement. Based on fund transfers to a cryptocurrency wallet owned by Panev, he allegedly earned approximately $230,000 between June 2022 and February 2024."Rostislav Panev for years built and maintained the digital weapons that enabled his LockBit co-conspirators to wreak havoc and cause billions of dollars in damage around the world," U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said.LockBit, which was one of the most prolific ransomware groups, had its infrastructure seized in February 2024 as part of an international law enforcement operation called Cronos. It gained notoriety for targeting more than 2,500 entities in at least 120 countries around the world, including 1,800 in the U.S. alone.Victims of LockBit's attacks included individuals and small businesses to multinational corporations, such as hospitals, schools, nonprofit organizations, critical infrastructure, government, and law enforcement agencies. The RaaS is believed to have netted the group at least $500 million in illicit profits.Court documents show that Panev's computer analyzed following his arrest had administrator credentials for an online repository that was hosted on the dark web and contained source code for multiple versions of the LockBit builder, which affiliates used to create custom builds of the ransomware.Also discovered were access credentials for the LockBit control panel and a tool called StealBit, which allowed the affiliate actors to exfiltrate sensitive data from compromised hosts prior to initiating the encryption process.Panev, besides writing and maintaining the LockBit malware code as well as offering technical guidance to the e-crime group, is also accused of exchanging direct messages with Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev, the primary administrator who also went by online alias LockBitSupp, discussing development work related to the builder and control panel."In interviews with Israeli authorities following his arrest in August, Panev admitted to having performed coding, development, and consulting work for the LockBit group and to having received regular payments in cryptocurrency for that work," the DoJ said."Among the work that Panev admitted to having completed for the LockBit group was the development of code to disable antivirus software; to deploy malware to multiple computers connected to a victim network; and to print the LockBit ransom note to all printers connected to a victim network."With the latest arrest, a total of seven LockBit members Mikhail Vasiliev, Ruslan Astamirov, Artur Sungatov, Ivan Gennadievich Kondratiev, Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev have been charged in the U.S.Despite these operational setbacks, the LockBit operators appear to be plotting a comeback, with a new version LockBit 4.0 scheduled for release in February 2025. However, it remains to be seen if the extortion gang can successfully stage a return in light of the ongoing wave of takedowns and charges.Second Netwalker Ransomware Affiliate Gets 20 Years in PrisonThe development comes as Daniel Christian Hulea, a 30-year-old Romanian affiliate of the NetWalker ransomware operation, was sentenced to 20 years in prison and ordered to forfeit $21,500,000 and his interests in an Indonesian company and a luxury resort property that was financed with ill-gotten proceeds from the attacks.Hulea previously pleaded guilty in the U.S. to charges of computer fraud conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy back in June 2024. He was arrested in Romania on July 11, 2023, and subsequently extradited to the U.S."As part of his plea agreement, Hulea admitted to using NetWalker to obtain approximately 1,595 bitcoin in ransom payments for himself and a co-conspirator, valued at approximately $21,500,000 at the time of the payments," the DoJ said.The NetWalker ransomware operation particularly singled out the healthcare sector during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was dismantled online in January 2021 when U.S. and Bulgarian authorities seized the dark web sites used by the group. In October 2022, a Canadian affiliate, Sebastien Vachon-Desjardins, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.Raccoon Stealer Developer Sentenced to 5 Years in PrisonIn related law enforcement news, the DoJ also announced the sentencing of Mark Sokolovsky, a Ukrainian national accused of being the primary developer of the Raccoon Stealer malware, to 60 months in federal prison for one count of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion.The 28-year-old conspired to offer the Raccoon infostealer as a malware-as-a-service (MaaS) to other criminal actors for $200 a month, who then deployed the malware on victims' systems using various ruses such as email phishing in order to steal sensitive data. The harvested information was used to commit financial crimes or sold to others on underground forums.Sokolovsky, who was extradited from the Netherlands in February 2024, pleaded guilty to the crime in early October and agreed to forfeit $23,975 and pay at least $910,844.61 in restitution."Mark Sokolovsky was a key player in an international criminal conspiracy that victimized countless individuals by administering malware which made it cheaper and easier for even amateurs to commit complex cybercrimes," said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas.The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has set up a website where users can check whether their email address shows up in the data stolen by the Raccoon stealer malware. The MaaS operation was taken offline in March 2022 concurrent with Sokolovsky's arrest by Dutch authorities.NYC Man Gets Nearly 6 Years in Prison for Credit Card Trafficking and Money LaunderingThe latest actions also follow the sentencing of a 32-year-old New York City man, Vitalii Antonenko, to time served plus days for his involvement in a criminal scheme that infiltrated systems with SQL injection attacks in order to steal credit card and personal information and offer the data for sale on online criminal marketplaces."Once a co-conspirator sold the data, Antonenko and others used Bitcoin as well as traditional bank and cash transactions to launder the proceeds in order to disguise their nature, location, source, ownership, and control," the DoJ noted in May 2020. "The conspiracy's victims included a hospitality business and non-profit scientific research institution, both located in eastern Massachusetts."Antonenko was arrested in March 2019 on his return to the U.S. from Ukraine carrying "computers and other digital media that held hundreds of thousands of stolen payment card numbers."In September 2024, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to gain unauthorized access to computer networks and to traffic in unauthorized access devices, and one count of money laundering conspiracy.Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

Best of CG Cookie Students 2024 By pavla on December 21, 2024 Community CG Cookie's second annual Student Reel is here! This is a hugely rewarding moment for the CG Cookie Crew after spending all year collecting notable student work. Witnessing our community apply what they learn in unique and jaw-dropping ways makes everything we do worth it.Thanks to all the members and Blender Market customers for making 2024 a very memorable year!

"A unicorn is worth more than riches"But what are yours?Ollie Reynolds, Staff WriterI never want to belittle the incredible achievement CD Projekt Red and Saber Interactive managed in porting The Witcher III to the Nintendo Switch, but when I recently booted it up for a fresh playthrough, I just couldnt cope with the visuals. It was nice back in 2019, but not anymore. So Im playing it on my Series X instead! Ah, much betterIm also playing through The Thing: Remastered on the PS5, which is a lovely, albeit slightly flawed take on the John Carpenter classic. Nightdive, as always, did an excellent job at beefing up the performance and visuals here.What, no Switch..? Well, yes, Im playing something for review, but more on that soon!Jim Norman, Staff WriterI'd like to think that this weekend will see me putting a few more hours into Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, maybe playing a few more games of Marvel Rivals with my pals and ticking off another island or two in Mario & Luigi: Brothership. But I'll be heading back to my parent's house for the holidays, so all that will be put aside in favour of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Nintendo Switch Sports and explaining the rules of Mario Party for the 100th time.Ah, Christmas is almost here. Have a good one, folks!Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube789kWatch on YouTube Gavin Lane, EditorSo many games I'm looking forward to tucking into. Unicorn Overlord is the big one, with Nine Sols, Tales of Kenzera: ZAU, and Loco Motive waiting in the wings. I got Braid: Anniversary Edition on sale a couple of weeks back, plus cute puzzler Railbound for 99 cents.I also want to play some more Yakuza and dip into Arco. I hear the latter has some issues on Switch but a 30% discount tempted me. Have a fantastic week, everyone!Alana Hagues, Deputy EditorAfter beating Nine Sols, Im in a bit of a gaming rut! I should go back to Trails through Daybreak, and I should start 1000xRESIST, but what have I done instead? Bounce around between Balatro, Tetris DX on NSO, and Bust A Move 4 on the PlayStation.But Ive just found out that Arco is on sale, and now Im thinking about making my backlog even bigger before 2025 hits. Lets just say its a little Christmas present to myself.Have a safe and healthy holiday season, everyone!Kate Gray, ContributorThis weekend I am on a PLANE once more. I'll be taking my Switch, my Steam Deck, and my iPad, which means I will have a fair amount of choice, but I feel like I should probably play Brothership, which I apparently pre-ordered a while ago and still haven't got around to playing.In reality, though, I will probably play a lot of Hello Kitty Island Adventure, and maybe some of the games I'm picking up in the Steam sale (Fields of Mistria, Void Stranger, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes). Or my backlog. Spoilers: it's never my backlog...Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube789kWatch on YouTube Gonalo Lopes, Contributor'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse except me unpacking all my mini retro arcades, consoles and computers to display under the giant LCD set in the living room. It is the season for cosy retro gaming, and to ensure entertainment to both host and guests of all ages that will run by my humble abode this holiday season, I have reassembled all my minis not just as decoration but because I will surely spend the coming weeks revisiting classics on my SNES, Mega Drive and PC Engine minis. I do suspect the latest addition to the gang will be quite popular among folks of a certain age: The Spectrum continues to impress unaware folks who stumble upon it setup next to the A500 Mini.My game of the week is still New Star GP, now competing in the 1990s season championship. I also convinced my dad to pick up the PS4 version on his PS5 and I really, REALLY love to play this arcade racing gem with analogue triggers. Someone at Nintendo is taking notes for the next Switch Pro Ultra 2, right? There is absolutely no reason in this day and age not to take full advantage of analogue acceleration and braking on 'Mario Kart 9'.Happy holidays, folks! I'll see you soonish after another complete playthrough of Secret of Mana on SNES (Santa is in it in case you dont remember).(PS: The developers reached out to me and assured that world ten is indeed the very last hurdle to conquer Abathor. Sequel please?)That's what we have planned for the weekend, but what about you? Let us know in the following poll which games you're planning on booting up over the next couple of days.What are you playing this weekend (21st/22nd December)? (1 vote)Related GamesSee Also

LockBit warn they will be back, on Feb. 3, 2025gettyUpdate, Dec. 21, 2024: This story, originally published Dec. 20, now includes news of criminal charges filed against the suspected developer of the LockBit ransomware by the U.S. Department of Justice.If you thought law enforcement had not only disrupted the LockBit ransomware operation, alongside trolling the criminal gang behind it but taken it out of business altogether, then you are likely in for a shock: LockBitSupp, the groups alleged leader, has warned LockBit 4 will return next year. In fact, a dark web posting said the new ransomware attacks would launch on Feb. 3, 2025, to be precise. Heres what we know.The LockBit 4 Ransomware ResurgenceAs news of a new variant of NotLockBit ransomware targeting Windows and Mac users breaks, it looks like the original threat that the new group imitates is about to rise phoenix-like from the FBI takedowns earlier this year.A dark web posting, apparently from the administrator of the LockBit ransomware group, has teased the launch of a new version of the threat by posing the question: Want a Lamborghini, Ferrari and lots of titty girls? Sign up and start your pentester billionaire journey in 5 minutes with us. It is understood that a new leak website has been prepared for launch, along with a total of five anonymous TOR sites: the official release date for the latest version is cited as Feb. 3, 2025.MORE FOR YOUWhat You Need To Know About The LockBit Ransomware Attack ThreatLockBits activity has fluctuated month-on-month in 2024 following its takedown in February, Matt Hull, global head of threat intelligence at cyber security giant NCC Group, said. However, LockBit remained the most active ransomware threat actor in May 2024, responsible for 37% of all attacks, according to NCC Group data. In July 2024, LockBit 3.0 was also the second most prolific threat actor, Hull said. That burst of activity appears to have been short-lived, with the group not appearing in the top ten most active threat actors during October and November.LockBit operates on a Ransomware-as-a-Service affiliate model, with their particular structure providing affiliate groups with a central control panel to create their own LockBit samples, manage their victims, publish blog posts, and view statistics regarding their success rates for each attack, Hull said. RaaS models operate in a pseudo-organizational hierarchy, where the operators of the ransomware variant will get a percentage cut of each successful ransomware attack carried out by their affiliates, Hull said, thus minimizing the risk that the operators take on with each campaign.Like most other current ransomware actors, the LockBit threat deploys a double-extortion methodology of file encryption and sensitive data exfiltration. That data is subsequently posted on their leak site where interested buyers can now pay for access to the data, a timer extension, or even the datas deletion, Hull said, unless the ransom is paid, of course.Suspected LockBit Ransomware Coder Charged By U.S. Department Of JusticeRostislav Panev, a 51-year-old with Russian and Israeli citizenship, has been charged by the U.S. Department of Justice on suspicion of being involved ins the development of the LockBit ransomware family malware. The newly unsealed U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, criminal complaint, charges Panev with conspiracy to commit fraud and related activity in connection with computers. That activity being the development, specifically, of the LockBit ransomware encryptors as well as one of the custom tools used in LockBit ransomware attacks known as StealBit. According to a Bleeping Computer report, Panev was arrested on Aug 18, 2024 in Israel where he remains in custody while a request for his extradition to the U.S. is processed.In the criminal complaint, Jacob A. Walker, a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, stated that Panev has provided coding and development services to the LockBit ransomware group since at least as early as in or around January 2022 and has received at least as much as approximately $230,000 in cryptocurrency transfers from the LockBit group during that time. Panev went on to state that On May 2, 2024, a grand jury in the District of New Jersey indicted a Russian national, Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev, on 26 criminal counts based on Khoroshevs alleged role as the creator and primary developer and administrator of the LockBit group. The criminal complaint said that, while Khoroshev remains a fugitive, U.S. authorities believe that Panev was subordinate to Khoroshev in the LockBit group.Mitigation Methods For Incoming Ransomware AttacksAccording To The FBIWith ransomware-as-a-service and double-extortion ransom tactics on the increase, the Federal Bureau Of Investigation has warned users to be alert to the risk and provided a number of recommended mitigation methods. The FBI said that organizations should enact three mitigating strategies immediately:Install updates for operating systems, software and firmware as soon as they are released.Require phishing-resistant, non SMS-based multi-factor authentication.Educate users to both recognize and report phishing attempts.