- US, UK and Australia sanctioned Russia-based bulletproof hosting provider Media Land
- Executives Volosovik, Zatolokin and Pankova linked to ransomware groups like Evil Corp and LockBit
- Media Land has contributed to phishing, malware and DDoS attacks; Allied nations also targeted Aeza and Hypercore
Just days after police seized infrastructure belonging to bulletproof hosting provider CrazyRDP, reports emerged of a similar organization also being locked down.
This time the target is Media Land, a Russia-based ironclad hosting provider that government agencies in the US, UK and Australia say has facilitated ransomware attacks and supported other various cybercriminal activities.
The US Treasury said its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) was sanctioning the organization, along with its top leaders – Aleksandr Volosovik (chief executive of Media Land and the person who advertised the organization on the dark web), Kirill Zatolokin (who collected payments and coordinated with other cybercriminals), and Yulia Pankova (who was in charge of legal and financial aspects). Volosovik was also allegedly affiliated with other threat actors, such as Evil Corp, Black Basta, and LockBit.
Target fronts and support
Media Land’s infrastructure has been used in all kinds of malicious campaigns, from phishing to malware. In the announcement, it was also stated that the company was used in a DDoS attack against US businesses and critical infrastructure.
Besides Media Land, the three countries are also sanctioning Aeza Group, a company that was already designated in July and which tried to evade sanctions by rebranding its brand, as well as Hypercore, a British front for Aeza. There are also Serbian and Uzbek companies that served as support.
“These so-called bulletproof hosting service providers, like Media Land, provide cybercriminals with critical services to help them attack businesses in the United States and allied countries,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley.
“Cybercriminals think they can operate in the shadows, targeting hard-working Britons and ruining their livelihoods with impunity. But they are wrong: together with our allies, we are unmasking their dark networks and pursuing those responsible,” added British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.
Via BeepComputer
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