The Person Hired to Help Ransomware Victims Was Actually Working With Criminals

Angelo Martino worked as a ransomware negotiator for DigitalMint, a company that helped businesses communicate with hackers during ransomware attacks. Instead of protecting his clients, he was secretly working with the criminals. He fed confidential information about the victims to his co-conspirators, helping them extort a total of $75.

3 million from five U.S. businesses. He has now been sentenced to 70 months in federal prison. This case directly affected five American companies that hired DigitalMint for help during ransomware attacks. The businesses trusted Martino to negotiate on their behalf and reduce the ransom demands.

Instead, he gave the attackers inside information that likely increased how much they had to pay. While your family probably was not one of these specific victims, this case reveals an important risk: not everyone who claims to help during a cyber crisis can be trusted.

1. Verify any negotiator or cybersecurity consultant through independent sources before sharing sensitive information.
2. Ask your IT department or security team about their incident response plan and which companies they work with.
3. Report the attack to law enforcement immediately through IC3.gov or your local FBI field office.
4. Never pay a ransom without consulting law enforcement and legal counsel first. The broader lesson is about trust and verification in cybersecurity. Just as you would check references before hiring someone to work in your home, businesses must thoroughly vet anyone handling sensitive security incidents. If you own a small business, establish relationships with trusted cybersecurity professionals before an attack happens, not during the crisis when you are most vulnerable.