Russian networks enabling cyber attacks around the world smashed, claims UK

London, Nov 19 (PTI) Illicit Russian networks enabling cyber attacks around the world have been exposed and smashed with sanctions in the latest crackdown on malicious cybercrime linked with Moscow, the UK government claimed on Wednesday.  The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said its action targets Media Land, dubbed one of the most significant operators of so-called "bulletproof" hosting services, which provides online infrastructure that enables cyber criminals to engage in illegal activity, including ransomware and phishing attacks.  Hackers linked with the firm are said to be responsible for ransomware attacks against the UK’s critical national infrastructure, including those in the telecommunications sector, as well as malware and phishing campaigns targeting British taxpayers.  "Cyber criminals think that they can act in the shadows, targeting hard-working British people and ruining livelihoods with impunity," said UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.  “But they are mistaken – together with our allies, we are exposing their dark networks and going after those responsible,” she said.  The FCDO said its action was taken alongside the UK's allies in Australia and the United States and in collaboration with the country's National Crime Agency (NCA). The latest crackdown also directly targets Media Land’s alleged ringleader, Alexander Volosovik, a.k.a. Yalishanda, whom the UK accused of being active in the cyber underground since at least 2010.  He is known to have worked with some of the most “notorious cyber-criminal groups, such as Evil Corp, LockBit and Black Basta".   “Ransomware attacks like those facilitated by Media Land significantly undermine the national security of the UK and our allies and directly harm British businesses. Cyber attacks are estimated to have cost British businesses 14.7 billion pounds in 2024, accounting for 0.5 per cent of GDP and growing every year," the FCDO said.  It added that the harm caused by "bulletproof" hosting services like Media Land extends beyond enabling cyber attacks against businesses, with their services providing cover for those carrying out a wide range of malicious activity. Aeza Group LLC, also sanctioned on Wednesday, is said to have provided "bulletproof" services to support the work of the Social Design Agency – a Russian disinformation agency sanctioned by the UK in 2024 for its “attempts to destabilise Ukraine and undermine democracies around the world”.   This action demonstrates our continued commitment to crack down on organisations that enable the Kremlin’s information war, the FCDO stated.   The UK government accuses President Vladimir Putin of turning Russia into a “safe haven for these malicious cyber criminals, cultivating a dark criminal ecosystem with deep ties to the Kremlin”.

   “If Russia isn’t going to clean up its act and go after these criminals, then the UK and our allies will," the FCDO added.  The NCA, alongside America’s Cyber Defence Agency, has also issued new advice to help businesses and users defend against potential malicious cyber activities, enabled by “bulletproof” hosting providers. PTI AK    RD RD