The Fight Against Russian Hackers Gets Tougher

U.S. authorities are facing increasing difficulty when it comes to detaining and discouraging Russian hackers.

According to The New York Times, the U.S. has few options when responding to state-sponsored hacks from overseas and extraditing the suspects behind them. In many cases, the FBI and Department of Justice spend time investigating crimes and compiling evidence against people who may never stand trial.

“You can indict 400 people. They don’t care,” Robert E. Anderson Jr., who served as the FBI’s most senior executive overseeing computer investigations up until last year, told NYT.

The Russian government often employs many private hackers, which can complicate investigations and upend normal diplomatic procedures, NYT reported.

However, Russia isn’t always uncooperative with foreign authorities trying to capture hackers within its borders.

Last week, American fugitive Joshua Aaron, who is a suspect in the massive JPMorgan hack that took place back in 2014, arrived back in the U.S. after being extradited from Russia.

Aaron’s return to the U.S. and subsequent arrest comes after seven months of negotiations between U.S. authorities and a migrant detention center near Moscow, people close to the matter told Bloomberg.

After arriving in New York on Wednesday (Dec. 14), Aaron pled not guilty to 16 criminal counts, which included securities fraud, conspiracy and hacking. Aaron and two Israelis are accused of stealing data from more than 100 million customers through orchestrated cybercrime schemes that took place from 2007 to mid-2015 and targeted at least nine financial and publishing firms, including the cyberattack on JPMorgan.