Citadel (malware)
{{Short description|Computer malware}}
{{distinguish|Citadel (software)}}
Citadel is a piece of massively-distributed malware based upon Zeus.{{cite web |last1=Segura |first1=Jérôme |title=Citadel: a cyber-criminal's ultimate weapon? |url=https://blog.malwarebytes.org/threat-analysis/2012/11/citadel-a-cyber-criminals-ultimate-weapon/ |website=Malwarebytes Labs |date=5 November 2012}} It targets credentials stored in password managers such as Keepass, Password Safe and neXus Personal Security Client.{{cite web |title=Cybercriminals Use Citadel to Compromise Password Management and Authentication Solutions |date=19 November 2014 |url=https://securityintelligence.com/cybercriminals-use-citadel-compromise-password-management-authentication-solutions/ |publisher=securityintelligence.com}}
By 2017 (it was first identified in 2011){{cite news |title=Citadel Banking Malware Is Evolving and Spreading Rapidly, Researchers Warn |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/249631/citadel_banking_malware_is_evolving_and_spreading_rapidly_researchers_warn.html |work=PCWorld}} Citadel had infected about 11 million computers worldwide and had caused over $500 million in losses.{{cite news |title=Russian sentenced in U.S. to five years prison for 'Citadel' malware |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-cybersecurity-citadel-idUSKBN1A42GW |work=Reuters |date=19 July 2017 |language=en}}
On March 20, 2017, having been extradited from Norway to the United States, a Russian computer science professional Mark Vartanyan pleaded guilty to a computer fraud charge for his part in developing the Control Panel for Citadel. In July 2017, he was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison.{{cite news |title=Russian Citizen who Helped Develop the "Citadel" Malware Toolkit is Sentenced |url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/russian-citizen-who-helped-develop-citadel-malware-toolkit-sentenced-0 |work=www.justice.gov |date=20 July 2017 |language=en}}
==See also==