Talk:Peter Levashov

COI disclosure
I would like to disclose that I, User:Levashov.peter, have a personal connection with Peter Severa Levashov and am adding information about his current activities based on information from his website and personal knowledge. Please review my edits for neutrality and accuracy. If you have any concerns, feel free to make necessary changes or contact me on my talk page. Thank you. Levashov.peter (talk) 22:22, 21 April 2023 (UTC)
 * Disclosing your identity is "step one" of the conflict of interest policy. COI editors are not supposed to edit in article space. Instead, you propose edits on the talk page, citing reliable sources for each edit. Your personal or business website should be used only for the most neutral and relevant facts. Material that sounds like PR or advertising your business has no place in an encyclopedia. HouseOfChange (talk) 05:04, 22 April 2023 (UTC)
 * Hello HouseOfChange,
 * Thank you for your guidance on the conflict of interest policy. I understand the importance of maintaining neutrality and adhering to Wikipedia's guidelines. I will follow your advice and propose any future edits on the talk page, citing reliable sources for each edit. I appreciate your help in maintaining the accuracy and integrity of Wikipedia content. If you or other editors have any suggestions for improving the article, please feel free to share them on the talk page.
 * Best regards,
 * Levashov.peter (talk) 12:02, 22 April 2023 (UTC)

Reverted edits and request for feedback
Hello,

I recently made some updates to the Peter Severa Levashov article, including adding information about his current activities and a photo. However, my changes were reverted by another editor HouseOfChange. I would like to understand the reasons for the reversion and receive feedback from other editors on my edits.

Here is the link to the 'diff' showing my changes and the reverted version: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Peter_Levashov&diff=prev&oldid=1151099906

I have already disclosed my conflict of interest on this talk page. I kindly ask fellow editors to review my changes and provide feedback on their neutrality and accuracy. If anyone has any concerns or suggestions, please feel free to make necessary changes or contact me on my talk page.

Thank you for your assistance in ensuring that the article remains balanced and informative.Levashov.peter (talk) 12:00, 22 April 2023 (UTC)
 * Peter, the balance that we strive for is coverage in proportion to what has taken note of by independent reliable secondary sources. Your edit was sourced to your own home page, which is obviously not independent, and is not regarded as reliable because anyone can write anything on their own home page. Phil Bridger (talk) 13:46, 22 April 2023 (UTC)
 * https://time.com/6130729/russian-hacker-peter-levashov-cryptocurrency/
 * may I use this source?Levashov.peter (talk) 15:51, 22 April 2023 (UTC)
 * This source is already cited in the article. You may propose on this talk page other information you think the article should contain from it. As others have told you besides me, you should NOT edit the article yourself. You need to propose specific edits here on the talk page for other editors to enact (or not.) HouseOfChange (talk) 16:41, 22 April 2023 (UTC)
 * Thank you for your guidance on the proper way to suggest changes to my Wikipedia article. I have followed your advice and submitted several edit requests in the "Talk" section of my page, ensuring that they are based on reliable, unconnected sources and maintain neutrality.
 * I kindly ask you to review these suggestions and consider implementing them in the article. Your attention and assistance in maintaining the integrity of the content are greatly appreciated.
 * Best regards,
 * Levashov.peter (talk) 22:28, 22 April 2023 (UTC)
 * I've re-added the image, because I don't see a reason not to. I've read the Time article (I haven't looked for others), and it does look it will provide a balance to the article, filling in the gap of what happened afterwards. Since Peter asked for feedback, I would suggest a paragraph sticking very closely to what's said by 3rd party sources, not using his own websites or personal knowledge. The lead will follow whatever's written in the body of the article. -- zzuuzz (talk) 20:25, 22 April 2023 (UTC)
 * Thank you for your guidance on the proper way to suggest changes to my Wikipedia article. I have followed your advice and submitted several edit requests in the "Talk" section of my page, ensuring that they are based on reliable, unconnected sources and maintain neutrality.
 * I kindly ask you to review these suggestions and consider implementing them in the article. Your attention and assistance in maintaining the integrity of the content are greatly appreciated.
 * Best regards,
 * Levashov.peter (talk) 22:28, 22 April 2023 (UTC)

Removed Proposed deletion
The proposal was based on statement in existing article that he was arrested for crime, but no info on convicted or not. However, given he served 33 months in US federal prison, logical conclusion was that he was. Articles does need confirmation for that. David notMD (talk) 16:31, 22 April 2023 (UTC)


 * Thank you for removing the proposed deletion. You are correct that I served time in prison, but I have since become a law-abiding and productive member of society. I am proud of the work I do now and appreciate the opportunity to have my story accurately represented on Wikipedia. If you need any further information or clarification, please don't hesitate to reach out.
 * Levashov.peter (talk) 22:11, 22 April 2023 (UTC)

Sourcing
From WP:BLPPRIMARY: Exercise extreme caution in using primary sources. Do not use trial transcripts and other court records, or other public documents, to support assertions about a living person. Do not use public records that include personal details, such as date of birth... The first two sources currently cited in the biography are court records, and accordingly should not be cited. AndyTheGrump (talk) 16:55, 22 April 2023 (UTC)


 * Thank you for pointing out the potential issues with the sources used in my article. I sincerely want to ensure that all information on my Wikipedia page adheres to the guidelines and policies. If the use of court records violates Wikipedia's rules, please feel free to remove or replace them with more appropriate sources. Your assistance in maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the article is greatly appreciated.
 * Levashov.peter (talk) 22:13, 22 April 2023 (UTC)


 * Thanks for pointing out the BLP policies related to court documents. I have replaced the two you mention with citations to RS that support his birth year, and the list of aliases. HouseOfChange (talk) 02:42, 1 May 2023 (UTC)

proposal 1
Hello! I would like to propose the following changes:

Peter Severa Levashov is believed to have been the mastermind behind not only the Kelihos malware family, but also the Waledac malware and the notorious Storm Worm. Source: Levashov.peter (talk) 22:00, 22 April 2023 (UTC)
 * Not done. The link provided does not mention "Levashov." Other sources do mention your confessing to the other items but for the bio to describe you as a "mastermind" would be an example of WP:PROMO. HouseOfChange (talk) 17:37, 29 April 2023 (UTC)

proposal 2
Hello! I would like to propose the following changes:

add a new section "Career after botnets":

"Since then, Levashov has been working on a new venture, which he calls SeveraDAO." Source: Levashov.peter (talk) 22:03, 22 April 2023 (UTC)


 * I have added the edit you requested. I agree that the article needs work on its sections, and I will try to improve that aspect also. HouseOfChange (talk) 22:53, 22 April 2023 (UTC)

proposal 3
Dear editors,

I would like to propose adding links to my social media profiles (LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram) to my Wikipedia article. I believe that including these links would help me become a more reputable member of society and allow me to better serve and engage with the public. These platforms provide valuable insight into my professional and personal life, and I think they would be a valuable addition to the article.

Please consider my request and let me know if there are any concerns or issues with adding these links. I appreciate your time and assistance in ensuring the accuracy and completeness of my Wikipedia article.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-levashov-a61b15200/

http://instagram.com/peter_severa/ (verified account, USA)

http://twitter.com/peter_levashov (verified account, USA)

Best regards,

Levashov.peter (talk) 22:09, 22 April 2023 (UTC)


 * Partly done. I see that you have an official website, as indicated in Special:Permalink/1150863802. WP:ELMINOFFICIAL dictates that we should keep the number of official links to the minimum, i.e. 1. In the event that the social links on the website are removed, the social accounts can be inserted instead. – robertsky (talk) 04:48, 23 April 2023 (UTC)

proposal 4
Dear Wikipedia editors,

I would like to bring to your attention some inaccuracies and potentially misleading information in my Wikipedia article that I believe should be excluded. The source in question is an article from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) titled "How A Convicted Russian Cybercriminal Made $6,000 A Month Helping The FBI" (https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-hacker-fbi-levashov-/31621562.html).

This article presents an unbalanced and negatively biased view of my situation, and includes information that is not supported by evidence. Some of the claims made in the article are false and damaging to my reputation. I understand that Wikipedia values reliable sources and aims to present neutral and accurate information. Therefore, I kindly request that the editors consider removing or replacing this source in my article to maintain accuracy and objectivity.

Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I appreciate your efforts in maintaining the integrity of Wikipedia's content.

Levashov.peter (talk) 22:17, 22 April 2023 (UTC)
 * I checked WP:RSN archives to see if RFERL is considered a reliable source. Consensus seems to be that it is generally reliable, but material sourced to it should be attributed, given its "propagandistic mission," to quote one comment. Especially considering BLP issues, I will look more closely at that material and try to improve its use in the bio. Update: I changed the article to attribute claims about FBI cooperation to RFE/RL, and to improve its accuracy and NPOV. HouseOfChange (talk) 14:33, 29 April 2023 (UTC)

Article is a chronological mess, needs some rewrite
The article would be improved by following chronological order: Just some rearrangement of material already in the article would be a good start. Advice/improvements by others are also welcome. HouseOfChange (talk) 17:55, 29 April 2023 (UTC)
 * Timeline of botnet activities and US investigation.
 * 2017-2018 After April 2017 arrest in Spain, extradition request, appeals, and final extradition to US in February 2018. Initial not-guilty plea.
 * Guilty plea September 2018. Work with FBI on other case(s). Release on bail in January 2020.
 * Government request for"a prison sentence ranging from 12 to 14.5 years" overruled by judge who released Levashov in July 2021 with 3 years oversight and no provision for restitution.
 * Severa's subsequent business activities, so far mentioned by only one RS.

My first book has been printed.
Dear Wikipedia editors, my first book - "CyberFortress" - has been published in Russia. Could you please add information about this to the article about me? I consider it a significant achievement of mine. It is a textbook on cybersecurity. I am attaching the link.

https://www.piter.com/product/kiberkrepost-vsestoronnee-rukovodstvo-po-kompyuternoy-bezopasnosti

173.2.33.230 (talk) 15:48, 28 October 2023 (UTC)


 * Inclusion of content on the book would probably require significant coverage of it in independent sources: e.g. reviews in publications specialising in the topic. AndyTheGrump (talk) 16:07, 28 October 2023 (UTC)