Australia sanctions Russian cybercrime providers over ransomware

Australia imposed sanctions Thursday on two Russian cybercrime service providers accused of enabling ransomware attacks targeting Australian and international networks.

In a joint statement with Defense Minister Richard Marles and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Canberra has taken this action in partnership with the US and the UK.

"Working across government and with international partners, we will continue to take action against Russia, to disrupt cybercrime and hold malicious cyber actors to account," Wong said.

Australia targeted Media Land LLC and its sister company ML Cloud along with two senior staff -- Aleksandr Alexandrovich Volosovik and Kirill Andreevich Zatolokin.

"These organizations have provided their ransomware infrastructure to malicious cyber actors and cybercriminals, allowing them to conduct cyberattacks in Australia and around the world," it said in the statement.

The sanctions make it a criminal offense to provide assets to, or deal with the assets of, the sanctioned entities and individuals, potentially resulting in up to 10 years in prison and substantial fines. The two individuals are also barred from entering Australia.