The sanctions “target Russian citizen Dmitri Khoroshev who was identified, as part of an international investigation (…), as one of the leaders of LockBit”, declared the British Government in a statement.
The LockBit group, described as one of the “most prolific cybercrime groups in recent years”, is “responsible for extorting more than a billion dollars (928 million euros at current exchange rates) from thousands of victims around the world.” , added the same note from the British executive.
Washington declared, in turn, that it had imposed sanctions against Dmitri Khoroshev “for his role in the development and distribution of the LockBit ‘ransomware’.”
“Russia continues to be a safe haven for cybercriminals, where groups like LockBit are free to launch cyberattacks against the United States, its allies and partners,” the US Treasury Department said in a statement.
According to the British Government, the organized crime fighting agency National Crime Agency (NCA) infiltrated the group’s network and destabilized the operation.
The group was responsible for 25% of ransomware attacks worldwide last year, affecting thousands of people and more than 200 UK companies.
‘Ransomware’ is a form of computer virus that affects computers, inducing people to open files that allow criminals to gain control of part or all of the content or servers of personal or company computers and then demand a ransom.
“The group has attempted to reorganize itself over the past two months, but the NCA considers that, as a result of this investigation, it is currently operating in a limited capacity and that the global threat from LockBit has significantly diminished,” he stressed.
The sanctions now applied to Khoroshev result in asset freezes and travel bans.
Leave a Reply