Russian ransomware gang worked with Kremlin spies, UK says

The NCA’s assessment appears to confirm a June 2022 report from the cybersecurity firm Mandiant, which said that hackers affiliated with Evil Corp had started working with LockBit. — Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

A Russian criminal gang secretly conducted cyberattacks and espionage operations against NATO allies on the orders of the Kremlin’s intelligence services, according to the UK’s National Crime Agency.

Evil Corp, which includes a leader who gained notoriety for driving a Lamborghini luxury sports car, launched the hacks prior to 2019, the NCA said in statement on Oct 1. The NCA’s statement came amid an internationally coordinated effort to punish Evil Corp’s alleged members with sanctions and, in the US, an indictment.