The United Kingdom, the United States and Australia jointly announced sanctions on Tuesday, 11 February, against a Russian hosting services provider and two Russian nationals linked to the LockBit ransomware network.

Source: Associated Press (AP), as reported by European Pravda

Details:The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and its British and Australian counterparts have imposed sanctions on the Russian hosting services provider Zservers and two Russian citizens who work for the company.

Zservers reportedly provided LockBit with access to specialised servers designed to counter law enforcement efforts.

According to the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), LockBit has been operating since 2019 and is the most widespread ransomware variant globally, continuously evolving.

LockBit hackers have stolen over US$120 million from thousands of victims worldwide, including aircraft manufacturer Boeing, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, and the UK's Royal Mail and National Health Service.

Background:

• The US took action in May 2024 against the leader of the Russian hacker group LockBit, which has been responsible for attacks on American companies.
• The US Department of Justice also announced charges against Russian nationals Artur Sungatov and Ivan Kondratyev, also known as Bassterlord, as active members of this cybercriminal group.

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