Evil Corp Protected by Ex-Senior FSB Official, Police Say

UK National Crime Agency Details Kremlin-Cybercrime Connection Mathew J. Schwartz (euroinfosec) • October 1, 2024

Russian intelligence agencies tasked the notorious Russian-speaking cybercrime syndicate Evil Corp with conducting cyberattacks and cyberespionage operations on behalf of the Russian government, British police said Tuesday.

See Also: OnDemand | 2024 Phishing Insights: What 11.9 Million User Behaviors Reveal About Your Risk

The connection between Kremlin operatives and cybercrime extended for years in a relationship nursed by Evil Corp leader Maksim Yakubets, aka Aqua, who has headed the group since its 2014 formation as a purveyor of banking Trojan Dridex.

Amid a flurry of announced arrests, server seizures and indictments against the Russian cybercrime underground announced Tuesday in a coordinated set of announcements timed for the second day of an annual meeting of the International Counter Ransomware Initiative, the U.K. National Crime Agency published a report detailing ...