British Agencies Target Russian Cyber Crime Network

Uploaded on 2025-02-19 in NEWS-Cybersecurity News, INTELLIGENCE-Hot Spots-Russia, FREE TO VIEW

Britain is applying sanctions against ZSERVERS, a key component of the Russian cybercrime supply chain, and 6 of its members, as well as its UK front company, XHOST Internet Solutions LP in the latest step to strengthen national security.

ZSERVERS provide vital infrastructure for cybercriminals as they plan and execute attacks against the UK.

By providing an illicit supply chain, ZSERVERS conceals the operations of some of the world’s most ruthless ransomware gangs who rely on their services to launch attacks, extort victims and store stolen data.

Predatory ransomware groups pose a persistent threat to national security, public services and privacy. Their attacks threaten critical national infrastructure, disrupt essential services, compromise sensitive data and generated $1 billion from their victims globally in 2023 alone. In building a secure digital economy, the British government's Plan For Change is intended to create a more attractive home for investment, generating jobs and a less attractive target for cyber criminals

Minister of State for Security, Dan Jarvis said "Ransomware attacks by Russian affiliated cyber crime gangs are some of the most harmful cyber threats we face today and the government is tackling them head on. Denying cybercriminals the tools of their trade weakens their capacity to do serious harm to the UK".

ZSERVERS explicitly advertise themselves to illicit actors as a Bulletproof Hosting (BPH) Provider. Some BPH are known to host hackers, misinformation, child exploitation material, spam and hate speech. BPH providers like ZSERVERS, protect and enable cybercriminals, offering a range of purchasable tools which mask their locations, identities, and activities.

Targeting these providers can disrupt hundreds or thousands of criminals simultaneously. and is a coordinated action with international partners and similar sanctions have been used against the ransomware groups known as LockBit and Evil Corp. LockBit affiliates are known to have used ZSERVERS as a launch pad for targeting the UK, enabling ransomware attacks against various targets, including the non-profit sector.

In October last year, The UK, US and Australia announced sanctions against 16 people accused of being part of Russia-based Evil Corp, who are charged with stealing around $300m over a decade of criminal hacking.

Image: Ideogram

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