UK and US sanction seven Russian cyber criminals over ransomware actions

The Foreign Office said the Russian nationals were linked to the development and deployment of ransomware which had targeted infrastructure.

The FCDO said recent victims of this type of cybercrime included UK schools and local authorities (Tim Goode/PA) (PA Archive)

Seven Russian nationals have been sanctioned by the UK and US over their links to the development and deployment of ransomware, as part of a Government crackdown on cyber criminals.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said asset freezes and travel bans had been imposed on the seven individuals for their ties to strains of ransomware which had been used to attack UK infrastructure, and others internationally.

Ransomware is a form of cyber attack that locks files and data on a user’s computer and demands payment in order for them to be released back to the owner and has been used as part of a number of high-profile cyber attacks in recent years, including the 2017 attack on the NHS.