The US Justice Department on Tuesday announced the indictment of three Russians who prosecutors say were at the center of a major cybercrime network that allegedly helped hackers target hospitals, schools and banks across the US, causing $62 million in damages.
The indictment targets one of the more brazen services provided by and for cybercriminals: so-called “bulletproof hosting” services, which lease internet infrastructure to hackers and claim to offer safe haven from law enforcement.
US prosecutors accused two Russian men, Aleksandr Volosovik and Kirill Zatolokin, of operating a bulletproof-hosting provider from a corporate office in St. Petersburg, Russia’s second largest city. A Russian woman, Yulia Pankova, is also charged in the criminal conspiracy. The charges include conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
The Russia-based company, Media Land, has supported numerous criminal groups who have claimed dozens of victims, the Justice Department alleged. The company was incorporated in 2015, according to Russian business records, and is based in a semi-industrial part of St. Petersburg. The State Department is now offering up to $10 million for information on the company and its executives as the US government investigation into Media Land continues.
