Ukrainian Man Pleads Guilty to UVM Medical Center Cyberattack

University of Vermont Medical Center Credit: Courtesy Photo

A Ukrainian man pleaded guilty last week for his role in a 2020 cyberattack against the University of Vermont Medical Center that downed computer systems, disrupted patient care and cost the facility tens of millions of dollars.

Vyacheslav Igorevich Penchukov, also known as Vyacheslav Igoravich Andreev, 38, pleaded guilty last Thursday in federal court in Nebraska to wire fraud and a violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Authorities said Penchukov is from Donetsk, Ukraine. He led two prolific groups that infected thousands of computers with malicious software, according to authorities. Before his arrest in Switzerland in 2022, he was a fugitive on the FBI’s most wanted list for nearly a decade. He was extradited to the U.S. last year.

Federal authorities say he was linked to attacks that went on for years. Some victims have paid up to $1 million to free their systems.

In fall 2020, the attack on the Burlington hospital crippled its servers and disrupted patient care. Attackers encrypted hospital files and loaded malware onto more than 5,000 computers. Employees had to revert to paper-based systems to do their jobs. Hundreds who couldn’t work were sent home. Patient care was disrupted, and IT experts, including a Vermont National Guard team, spent weeks wiping devices one at a time.

Once it was back online, the hospital revealed it had been the victim of a ransomware attack, in which hackers demand payment to release systems.

Some cancer patients’ treatment was disrupted for weeks. In court documents, the Justice Department said the attack cost the hospital more than $30 million. Prosecutors said the attack created a “risk of death or serious bodily injury to patients.”

Penchukov faces up to 20 years on each offense and will be sentenced on May 9, prosecutors said. Penchukov’s case “should serve as a clear warning,” said prosecutor Nicole M. Argentieri in a press release. “The Justice Department will never stop in its pursuit of cybercriminals.”