US imposes sanctions on Russian hacker

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On 23 January, the United States imposed sanctions on a Russian hacker involved in the attack on Medibank in Australia.

Source: US Department of Treasury

Quote: “Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), in coordination with Australia and the United Kingdom, designated Alexander Ermakov (Ermakov), a cyber actor who played a pivotal in the 2022 ransomware attack against Medibank Private Limited, an Australian healthcare insurer.”

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Details: According to Deputy Treasury Secretary Brian Nelson, Russian cybercriminals continue to launch crippling attacks against the United States and its allies to steal sensitive data.

Quote: “Ermakov is a Russian national and cybercriminal. He has been sanctioned for his role in the exfiltration and release on the dark net of 9.7 million records containing the personal information of Australians, including names, dates of birth, Medicare numbers, and sensitive medical information.”

Background:

• In October 2022, Ermakov infiltrated the network of Medibank, one of Australia’s largest private insurance companies.
• He stole personal information and confidential medical information related to approximately 9.7 million customers and employees of the company.
• The purpose of such actions is usually financial gain.

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