Russian ransomware hackers worked with Kremlin spies, Britain says

A Russian criminal gang secretly carried out cyber attacks and espionage operations against NATO allies on behalf of the Kremlin’s intelligence services, Britain’s National Crime Agency said. From a report: Evil Corp., which includes a man who rose to fame for driving a Lamborghini luxury sports car, launched the hacks before 2019, the NCA said in a statement on Tuesday. The gang is accused of using malicious software to extort millions of dollars from hundreds of banks and financial institutions in more than 40 countries. In December 2019, the US government sanctioned Evil and accused its alleged leader, Maksim Yakubets, of providing “direct assistance” to the Russian state, including by “acquiring confidential documents.” Tuesday’s NCA statement provides new details about the work Yakubets and other members are said to have done to support the Kremlin’s geopolitical objectives. The exact nature of the hacks against North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies was not immediately clear.