US, Australia, UK sanction Russia-based hosting provider for enabling ransomware attacks

​​​​​​​By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - The US, Australia and the UK imposed sanctions Tuesday on Zservers, a Russia-based bulletproof hosting (BPH) provider, for enabling cybercriminals linked to the LockBit ransomware group.

The US Treasury Department also designated two Russian nationals, Alexander Igorevich Mishin and Aleksandr Sergeyevich Bolshakov, as key Zservers administrators.

The sanctions prohibit Americans and entities from engaging in transactions with Zservers, Mishin or Bolshakov. Any assets tied to them within US jurisdiction are also blocked. Violations could result in civil or criminal penalties.

The Treasury Department alleged Zservers provides BPH services, offering servers and IP addresses designed to evade law enforcement.

It added that LockBit affiliates have used Zservers' infrastructure to coordinate and launch attacks, including a November 2023 high-profile attack on the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC).

LockBit is one of the most widely deployed ransomware variants, posing a significant threat to global cybersecurity.

The US accused Zservers of playing a role in sustaining ransomware operations by providing the services.

The company has yet to comment on the sanctions.​​​​​​​