A joint campaign between the UK and US to combat international cybercrime has resulted in seven Russian cybercriminals linked to the notorious ransomware group Trickbot being exposed and sanctioned. The sanctions were announced today by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control. This follows an investigation by the National Crime Agency into the crime group behind Trickbot malware, as well as the Conti and RYUK ransomware strains. Trickbot has been responsible for some of the most damaging ransomware attacks in recent years, with the NCA estimating that the group has extorted at least £27 million from 149 UK victims. The US Department of the Treasury also noted malicious cyber activities targeting critical infrastructure, including hospitals and medical facilities in the US. The seven cybercriminals are now subject to travel bans and asset freezes, and are severely restricted in their use of the global financial system. The sanctions are the first of their kind for the UK and demonstrate the ongoing campaign to target those responsible for the most sophisticated and damaging ransomware attacks. The UK's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation also released new public guidance that outlines the implications of these new sanctions in ransomware cases. The guidance makes it clear that the UK does not condone paying ransoms, instead advocating cyber resilience to prevent and mitigate against ransomware attacks.
This Cyber News was published on www.csoonline.com. Publication date: Thu, 09 Feb 2023 16:15:03 +0000