Australian Government Imposes Sanctions on Russian Hacker
LockBit was responsible for 18% of recent ransomware incidents in Australia.
An alleged leader of the international ransomware group LockBit has been hit with financial sanctions and barred from traveling to Australia.
The Australian government identified Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev, a Russian citizen, as holding a “senior leadership position” in a criminal organization that provided tools and infrastructure to hackers worldwide for conducting cyber attacks.
The announcement was made in collaboration with authorities in the United Kingdom and the United States.
LockBit was the perpetrator of 18% of documented ransomware incidents in Australia during 2022-23, targeting 119 individuals in the country.
UK authorities stated that Mr. Khoroshev operated under the alias LockBitSupp, while U.S. authorities revealed an indictment alleging that he was the developer and administrator of the LockBit ransomware group since its inception in September 2019 until now.
“Australia is dedicated to upholding a cyberspace based on international law and responsible behavior norms and holding accountable those who violate these rules,” stated Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
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“Sanctions are a way to hold individuals accountable for their actions and to impose costs and consequences—we will continue to apply them where necessary.”
Under Australia’s cyber sanctions framework, it is now a criminal offense to provide assets to Mr. Khoroshev or to engage in any financial transactions involving his assets.
According to UK authorities, over 7,000 cyber attacks were conducted using LockBit’s services between June 2022 and February 2024, with the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and China being the top five countries targeted.
A coalition of law enforcement agencies disrupted LockBit in February by seizing control of the group’s dark web site.
