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UK sanctions cyber-crime gang it says Russia charged with attacking NATO

Britain stated on Tuesday it had sanctioned 16 members of the Russian cybercrime gang Evil Corp, a group it said had been tasked by Russia to carry out operations versus NATO allies.

Evil Corp was as soon as believed to be the most considerable cyber-crime risk on the planet, Britain's National Crime Agency ( NCA) said after taking coordinated action with officials in the United States and Australia.

Today's sanctions send a clear message to the Kremlin that we will not endure Russian cyber-attacks - whether from the state itself or from its cyber-criminal community, foreign minister David Lammy stated in a statement.

In 2019, the U.S. indicted and sanctioned Evil Corp's. supposed leader, the Lamborghini-driving Maksim Yakubets, and put. a $5 million bounty out for info resulting in his arrest.

In its latest disclosure, the NCA stated the group had been. entrusted by Russian intelligence services to perform cyber-attacks. and espionage operations against NATO allies, although it gave. no more details.

Yakubets, it said, had dealt with Russia's Federal Security. Service (FSB), Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) and military. intelligence unit GRU.

His father-in-law, Eduard Benderskiy, a previous high-ranking. authorities of the FSB, was also an enabler of Evil Corp's. activities and helped safeguard the group after the U.S. action in. 2019, the NCA said.

The British company stated Evil Corp likewise had close connections. with the ransomware group LockBit, which had actually targeted the. Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Boeing and Britain's. Royal Mail among others, and which Western law enforcement. companies interrupted earlier this year.

Yakubets' right-hand male Aleksandr Ryzhenkov had actually been. determined as a LockBit affiliate and was associated with ransomware. attacks versus various organisations, the NCA said.

The action revealed today has occurred in conjunction. with substantial and intricate investigations by the NCA into two of. the most hazardous cyber-crime groups of perpetuity, said James. Babbage, Director General for Risks at the NCA.

Britain said among those targeted in its new sanctions,. which included property freezes and take a trip restrictions, were Yakubets,. Artem Viktorovich Yakubets and Viktor Grigoryevich Yakubets.

In a different statement, the U.S. justice department stated. it had actually arraigned Ryzhenkov for releasing a pressure of ransomware. called BitPaymer to attack many victims in Texas and. throughout the country.

Today's charges versus Ryzhenkov detail how he and his. conspirators stole the delicate data of innocent Americans and. then required ransom, stated Deputy Chief law officer Lisa Monaco.

With law enforcement partners here and around the world, we. will continue to put victims initially and reveal these lawbreakers. that, in the end, they will be the ones paying for their. criminal activities..

(source: Reuters)