Security News > 2021 > April > How the Kremlin Provides a Safe Harbor for Ransomware
One big reason: Ransomware rackets are dominated by Russian-speaking cybercriminals who are shielded - and sometimes employed - by Russian intelligence agencies, according to security researchers, U.S. law enforcement, and now the Biden administration.
On Thursday, as the U.S. slapped sanctions on Russia for malign activities including state-backed hacking, the Treasury Department said Russian intelligence has enabled ransomware attacks by cultivating and co-opting criminal hackers and giving them safe harbor.
Unlike North Korea, there is no indication Russia's government benefits directly from ransomware crime, although Russian President Vladimir Putin may consider the resulting havoc a strategic bonus.
A Russian Embassy spokesman declined to address questions about his government's alleged ties to ransomware criminals and state employees' alleged involvement in cybercrime.
Proving links between the Russian state and ransomware gangs is not easy.
At least one ransomware purveyor has been linked to the Kremlin.