18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(5)(A)
Intentional Damage to a Protected Computer
Key Facts
- Statutory Citation: 18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(5)(A).
- Official Offense: Intentional Damage to a Protected Computer.
- Jurisdiction: United States (Federal).
- Correlated across 8 primary case matters in this library.
Prosecutorial Elements in Cyber Cases
Requires proof that the defendant knowingly caused the transmission of a program, code, or command (such as ransomware, wipers, or denial-of-service scripts) that intentionally caused unauthorized impairment to data integrity or availability.
Statutory Sentencing Exposure
Up to 10 years federal imprisonment (or up to 20 years for repeat offenses or critical infrastructure damage endangering public health or national security).
Representative Prosecution Cases (8)
U.S. v. Andrienko et al. (Sandworm / GRU Unit 74455)
Six Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) military officers charged with deploying the NotPetya wiper, Olympic Destroyer malware, KillDisk attacks against Ukrainian power grids, and cyberattacks targeting French elections.
U.S. v. Khoroshev et al. (LockBit Ransomware Operation)
Comprehensive global law enforcement takedown (Operation Cronos) of LockBit ransomware infrastructure, unmasking creator Dmitry Khoroshev (LockBitSupp) and multiple active affiliates who extorted over $500 million from thousands of victims.
ALPHV / BlackCat Ransomware Attack on Change Healthcare
Devastating ransomware attack and data extortion of Change Healthcare (UnitedHealth Group) that paralyzed medical billing, prescription processing, and healthcare provider reimbursement nationwide.
Colonial Pipeline DarkSide Ransomware Attack
DarkSide ransomware extortion against the largest refined petroleum pipeline system in the United States, forcing the shutdown of 5,500 miles of fuel pipelines and triggering widespread East Coast fuel shortages.
U.S. v. Yakubets & Turashev (Evil Corp / Dridex Banking Malware)
Leader and core administrator of Evil Corp charged with deploying Bugat/Dridex banking malware and ransomware, stealing dozens of millions of dollars from bank accounts of municipalities, school districts, and businesses.
U.S. v. Park Jin Hyok (Lazarus Group / Chosun Expo)
Department of Justice charges North Korean state-sponsored programmer with the 2014 Sony Pictures hack, the 2017 global WannaCry ransomware outbreak, and the $81 million Bangladesh Bank cyber heist.
U.S. v. Vachon-Desjardins (Netwalker Ransomware)
Affiliate of Netwalker ransomware responsible for attacking dozens of healthcare systems, universities, and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, extorting tens of millions of dollars.
U.S. v. Yaroslav Vasinskyi (Kaseya VSA / REvil Ransomware)
Ukrainian national and REvil ransomware affiliate responsible for deploying the ransomware attack that hijacked Kaseya VSA management software, instantly encrypting up to 1,500 downstream businesses on July 4th weekend.