G7 calls on Russia to dismantle operations of ransomware gangs within its borders

The member states of the G7 group have called on Russia and other states to dismantle operations of the ransomware gangs operating within their countries.

G7 member states have called on Russia and other states to dismantle operations of ransomware gangs operating within their countries.

The call to action follows the large number of ransomware attacks that targeted organizations in the US and Europe, such as the Colonial Pipeline and JBS attacks.

The G7 statement defines the practice of extortion through ransomware attacks as an “escalating shared threat”.

“We also commit to work together to urgently address the escalating shared threat from criminal ransomware networks. We call on all states to urgently identify and disrupt ransomware criminal networks operating from within their borders, and hold those networks accountable for their actions,” reads the statement. “In particular, we call on Russia to urgently investigate and credibly explain the use of a chemical weapon on its soil, to end its systematic crackdown on independent civil society and media, and to identify, disrupt, and hold to account those within its borders who conduct ransomware attacks, abuse virtual currency to launder ransoms, and other cybercrimes.

The G7 members highlights the importance to collaborate to increase the security of supply chains, the statement also recognizes the foundational role that telecommunications infrastructure, including 5G and future communication technologies, plays and will play in underpinning our wider digital and ICT infrastructure.

Critical infrastructure is particularly exposed to supply chain attacks, for this reason, G7 Members aim at promoting secure, resilient, competitive, transparent, and sustainable and diverse digital, telecoms, and ICT infrastructure supply chains.

The statement calls to action, but doesn’t include any recommendation countries that host most of the ransomware gangs like Russia and Eastern EU countries.

Most of these groups avoid targeting systems used by entities in Russia and neighboring countries fearing the action of the Russian police. Now G7 members are inviting countries to fight with any means the activities of these ransomware gangs, even if they don’t target users in their countries.

According to US agencies, the notorious cybercrime group Evil Corp operates in cooperation with Russias’ Federal Security Service (FSB).

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Pierluigi Paganini
International Editor-in-Chief
Cyber Defense Magazine