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The United States, Britain, and Australia Impose Sanctions on Russian Cybercriminal
The United States and Britain have joined Australia in imposing sanctions on Russian citizen Aleksandr Yermakov for his alleged involvement in a cyberattack that compromised the personal information of 9.7 million Australians. The cyberattack targeted Australian private health insurer Medibank in October 2022.
The U.S. Treasury Department announced the sanctions against Yermakov after Australian authorities linked him to the breach of Medibank. The sanctions freeze any assets he holds in U.S. jurisdiction and generally bar Americans from dealing with him.
Undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, Brian Nelson, stated that Russian cyber actors continue to wage disruptive ransomware attacks against the United States and its allies and target businesses, including critical infrastructure, to steal sensitive data. The coordinated action by the U.S., Australia, and the U.K. underscores the collective resolve to hold these cybercriminals to account.
Yermakov, 33, who used the online aliases blade_runner, GustaveDore, and JimJones, resides in Moscow, according to the U.S. Treasury Department.
The Australian government has imposed its power to sanction an individual for cybercrime for the first time, applying the law against Yermakov after linking him to the Medibank cyberattack. Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil emphasized that it was the first time the Australian government had identified a cybercriminal and imposed cybersanctions of this kind.
The cyberattack on Medibank involved the release of sensitive medical records on the dark web after the company refused to pay a ransom. The leaked records included information related to drug abuse, sexually transmitted infections, and abortions, making it the most devastating cyberattack experienced by Australia.
The Australian sanctions impose a travel ban and strict financial sanctions, making it a criminal offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment for anyone found guilty of providing assets to Yermakov or using his assets, according to Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles stated that the sanctions are part of Australia’s efforts to expose cybercriminals and debilitate groups engaging in cyberattacks.
In the face of continuing malicious cyberattacks targeting governments, critical infrastructure, businesses, and households in Australia, these coordinated international sanctions demonstrate a robust response against cybercriminals.
