The U.S. Department of State said it is cracking down on Russian ransomware networks and gangs, announcing new sanctions this week against a Russian internet service provider and several Russian citizens.
In a statement, the State Department said that U.S., UK, and Australian officials said they are sanctioning Zservers, a bulletproof hosting services provider that allegedly backed ransomware attacks by the LockBit group. Bulletproof hosting providers (BPHs) allow for web services that can be considered illegal or controversial, such as distributing malware, illegal gambling, botnets, phishing attacks, or spam.
“As a BPH service provider, Zservers provided cybercriminals access to specialized servers and other computer infrastructure designed to resist law enforcement action,” the State Department’s spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in the statement on Tuesday….