Global hacker investigated by federal agents in Puerto Rico pleads guilty in IPStorm case

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Puerto Rico says a man with Russian and Moldovan citizenship has pleaded guilty to illegally taking control of thousands of electronic devices to rent them to clients who want to hide their internet activity. Officials say that the IPStorm scheme ran from at least June 2019 to December 2022 and generated more than half a million dollars. Authorities say Sergei Makinin developed and deployed malicious software to gain control of devices and then sold illegal access to those devices to clients. Makinin’s attorney did not immediately respond to a message for comment.