On Oct. 15, 2020, a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh returned an indictment charging six computer hackers, all of whom were residents and nationals of the Russian Federation (Russia) and officers in Unit 74455 of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), a military intelligence agency of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. | www.justice.gov
Russian ransomware actors are “hybrids”: criminals but also IT talent with a fearsome reputation. Why crack down when you can exploit them as a “combat resource” and bargaining chip?| nattothoughts.substack.com
Dmitry Medvedev’s June 13 call to do “maximum harm” to Western infrastructure is not so new: Russian strategists have thought about using ransomware to pressure adversary countries since at least 2016| nattothoughts.substack.com
Russian ransomware actors and other cybercriminals are business people first, but they have to do their duty to the motherland| nattothoughts.substack.com
Some ransomware attacks serve both financial and political motives and may play a role in Russia's ongoing "hybrid warfare" against the West| nattothoughts.substack.com
The patriotic rhetoric, targeting and timing of attacks, and occasionally unprofitable operations of Mikhail Matveev's Babuk ransomware group align with Russian state strategic interests| nattothoughts.substack.com
