Romanian Man Sent To The United States Since Being Convicted Of Hacking 160 NASA Computers

A Romanian man has been extradited to the United States on suspicion of aiding in the distribution of a computer virus that infected more than 1 million machines and resulted in significant financial losses throughout the globe, according to federal authorities on Tuesday.

The suspect has been accused as Mihai Paunescu, he is a 37-year-old man. He is charged with operating a hosting company that assisted in the spread of the Gozi virus, which stole data from user bank accounts while being almost undetected. On Monday, he made his first appearance in federal court in Manhattan, where he was given a detention order.

According to the prosecution, the virus is one of the most financially devastating in recorded history, costing its victims tens of millions of dollars.
At least 40,000 computers in the United States were infected by the virus when it was initially detected in 2007, including more than 160 machines used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Following his arrest in Colombia last year, Paunescu was extradited, and he was charged with conspiring to conduct bank and wire fraud as well as computer intrusion.
An inquiry for comment was not immediately answered by Paunescu’s legal counsel.
In 2012, Paunescu was detained in Romania but later freed on bail.According to the prosecution, the virus is one of the most financially devastating in recorded history, costing its victims tens of millions of dollars.
At least 40,000 computers in the United States were infected by the virus when it was initially detected in 2007, including more than 160 machines used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Following his arrest in Colombia last year, Paunescu was extradited, and he was charged with conspiring to conduct bank and wire fraud as well as computer intrusion.
An inquiry for comment was not immediately answered by Paunescu’s legal counsel.
In 2012, Paunescu was detained in Romania but later freed on bail.

The next year, accusations were made public against Paunescu and Nikita Kuzmin, the Russian who created the malware and secretly entered a guilty plea in 2011 as part of a cooperation arrangement.