Vitali Nikolaevici Kovalev

Vitali Nikolaevici Kovalev, a 36-year-old Russian hacker, is known as the leader of the notorious Conti ransomware group, responsible for some of the most damaging cyberattacks in recent years. Kovalev is also the creator of the Trickbot malware, which has impacted approximately 4% of companies globally. Under his leadership, Conti operated like a corporate entity, employing around 100 members and generating hundreds of millions in illegal profits from ransomware attacks against various targets, including hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.