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Australia has imposed fresh sanctions on two Russian cyber crime service providers and two of their senior operators, as part of a coordinated action with the United Kingdom and the United States to disrupt global ransomware networks.
The federal government announced sanctions against Media Land LLC, ML. Cloud LLC, and two key personnel – Aleksandr Alexandrovich Volosovik and Kirill Andreevich Zatolokin – after investigators linked the businesses to ransomware infrastructure used in attacks on Australian organisations and critical infrastructure overseas.
Authorities say Media Land has directly enabled criminal groups to target Australian financial institutions, businesses, customers and essential international systems, providing the backbone services that allowed ransomware operators to launch and sustain their attacks.
This marks the fifth use of Australia’s autonomous cyber sanctions framework, a tool introduced to help combat the escalating volume and severity of cyber crime affecting households, companies and government agencies.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said the measures underscored Australia’s determination to “strike back” at foreign cyber criminals.
“The Australian government is taking strong steps to strike back against malicious cyber activity,” Minister Marles said. “These actions are about defending our national security and ensuring Australians can live and work safely in a digital world.”
Under the sanctions, it is now a criminal offence to provide assets to the sanctioned entities or individuals, or to use or deal with their assets. Breaches carry penalties of up to 10 years’ imprisonment and significant financial penalties. The two Russian operators have also been banned from entering Australia.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the move showed the importance of coordinated international action.
“Working across government and with international partners, we will continue to take action against Russia, to disrupt cyber crime and hold malicious cyber actors to account,” Senator Wong said.
The sanctions follow a joint investigation involving the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), and international law enforcement partners. Officials said the action demonstrates a united effort to deter cyber criminal networks and shield the public from harm.
Australians lose billions of dollars each year to cyber scams, ransomware, phishing and data breaches. Cyber sanctions are a central part of the Albanese government’s 2023–2030 Cyber Security Strategy, which aims to strengthen national resilience and impose costs on hostile cyber actors.
Home Affairs and Cyber Security Minister Tony Burke emphasised the scale of the threat, “We will continue to do everything we can to break down the networks and alienate the individuals who are driving cyber attacks against Australia and Australian interests.”
Minister Burke added, “This is one of the fastest growing threats our country faces and our government will ensure we are ready to face it.”
Australians are encouraged to report cybercrimes, incidents or vulnerabilities to ASD via 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371) or at cyber.gov.au. Businesses are urged to bolster their own cyber hygiene by keeping software up to date, backing up data regularly and training staff to avoid suspicious emails, websites and links.
