IntelCrawler, a cyber security firm that fingered a Russian teen for the malware used to steal 70 million Target customers’ credit card numbers appears to be backing off, but not completely. Last week, the California-based company named 17-year-old Sergey Tarasov as the kid behind the massive breach who has subsequently been identified in numerous media reports. But in an update Monday IntelCrawler said another author crafted the code, though it still accused Tarasov of playing a role in the breach.
“Three days ago, IntelCrawler researchers claimed that they had found out who is the brains behind the malware used in the Target breach,” security expert Brian Krebs told FoxNews.com in an email. “A couple of hours ago, IntelCrawler changed their version of the events, publishing data that links another Russian VK profile to the affair, this time Rinat Shabayev.” While IntelCrawler has revised its initial report, the company still believes Tarasov is connected to the malware.
“The person behind the nickname “ree(4)” is Rinat Shibaev, working closely with Sergey Tarasov, who was acting as his technical support together with several other members, having roots in St. Petersburg, a very well-known programmer of malicious code in underground,” the company wrote in its report. “All the mentioned factors point to a bad actor definitely in one of the former USSR countries.”
In Russia, Tarasov has fought back against IntelCrawler’s accusations in various Russian media outlets and has already reached out to a lawyer saying he does not have the necessary education needed to create the virus, and that while he writes code, it is only for personal use. “Our media grabs information and gives it to the masses without checking beforehand,” Tarasov told a Russian news outlet. He also said he has no connection to Shabayev or St. Petersburg and has lived in Novosibirsk his entire life.
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Meanwhile, in a possibly related story, police on the U.S.-Mexico border say two people trying to enter the U.S. have been arrested in South Texas on fraud charges that could be related to the theft of the Target data according to McAllen police Chief Victor Rodriquez.
Officials say 27-year-old Mary Carmen Garcia and 28-year-old Daniel Guardiola Dominguez, both of Monterrey, Mexico, were arrested Sunday at the Anzalduas International Bridge. Both were trying to re-enter the U.S. Officials say both suspects were carrying fraudulent credit cards when arrested and police believe personal information stolen from the Target security breach was used for the cards.
To read my prior articles concerning this story, click here: https://fggam.org/target-credit-card-breach-probably-a-17-year-old-russian-teen/