- The UK sanctions 16 members of prolific Russian cyber-crime gang Evil Corp, alongside the US and Australia
- Evil Corp’s malicious cyber activity involved a concerted effort to compromise UK health, government and public sector institutions
LONDON, England – The UK, alongside the US and Australia, has sanctioned 16 members of prolific Russian cyber-crime gang ‘Evil Corp’. Cybercriminals connected to Evil Corp, a prolific, long-standing Russian hacker group, on October 1, were targeted with new UK sanctions, in coordinated action alongside the US and Australia.
Among those sanctioned is Maksim Yakubets, who long led the group’s operations and has a $5 million bounty on his head by the US Department of Justice. Yakubets also cultivated strong ties between Evil Corp and the Russian state, developing relationships with the FSB and Russian military intelligence (GRU), says Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), National Crime Agency, Dan Jarvis.
Known for their Mafia style of operation, Evil Corp has waged a campaign of destructive cyber-attacks worldwide for over a decade. This includes malware and ransomware attacks against UK health, government and public sector institutions, as well as private commercial technology companies. Their attacks have earned hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit profits worldwide.
Those sanctioned today will now be subject to a series of asset freezes and travel bans. The UK is committed to protecting the businesses and livelihoods affected by these cruel attacks.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy, said:
“I am making it my personal mission to target the Kremlin with the full arsenal of sanctions at our disposal. Putin has built a corrupt mafia state with himself at its centre. We must combat this at every turn, and today’s action is just the beginning. [Today’s] sanctions send a clear message to the Kremlin that we will not tolerate Russian cyber-attacks – whether from the state itself or from its cyber-criminal ecosystem.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis, said:
“Cyber-crime causes immense damage to people and business across the world but today’s action is evidence that there are serious consequences for those involved. We will continue to work with our international partners to pursue and expose malicious cyber activity and protect the public.”
These sanctions have taken place in coordination with significant law enforcement investigations led by the NCA and law enforcement agencies internationally. This announcement demonstrates our ability to use the full range of government tools to target the threat from cybercrime and disrupt malicious cyber actors emanating from the Russian state.
“The sanctions build on the action taken earlier this year against a leader of associated cyber-crime group LockBit. Alongside our allies, we will continue to crack down on malicious cyber activity and cyber-crime groups with links to Russia that seek to undermine global integrity, prosperity and security,” said FCDO.
View the full UK Sanctions List
