- The US, UK and Australia sanctioned Russian-based bulletproof hosting provider Media Land
- Leaders Volosovik, Zatolokin and Pankova linked to ransomware groups such as Evil Corp and LockBit
- Media Land supported phishing, malware and DDoS attacks; allied nations also targeted Aeza and Hypercore
Days after police seized infrastructure belonging to bulletproof hosting provider CrazyRDP, news emerged that a similar organization had also been shut down.
This time, the target is Media Land – a Russia-based bulletproof hosting provider that, according to government agencies in the US, UK and Australia, facilitated ransomware attacks and supported various other cybercriminal activities.
The US Treasury Department said its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is sanctioning the organization as well as its key leaders – Aleksandr Volosovik (Media Land’s general director and the person who advertised the organization on the dark web), Kirill Zatolokin (who collected payments and coordinated with other cybercriminals) and Yulia Pankova was responsible for the finances. Volosovik was also allegedly associated with other threat actors, such as Evil Corp, Black Basta and LockBit.
Targeting fronts and support
Media Land’s infrastructure was used in all sorts of malicious campaigns, from phishing to malware. The announcement also said the company was used in a DDoS attack against US businesses and critical infrastructure.
In addition to Media Land, the three nations are also sanctioning Aeza Group, a company already singled out in July for trying to evade the sanctions by rebranding, as well as Hypercore, a UK-based front for Aeza. There are also Serbian and Uzbek companies that served as support
“These so-called bulletproof hosting service providers like Media Land provide cybercriminals with essential services to help them attack businesses in the United States and in allied countries,” said Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley.
“Cybercriminals think they can operate in the shadows, target hard-working Britons and destroy livelihoods with impunity. But they are wrong – together with our allies, we are exposing their dark networks and going after those responsible,” added UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.
Via Bleeping Computer
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