"Australia Sanctions Russian Hacker Behind Medibank Breach"

The Australian government has publicly named Aleksandr Ermakov, 33, a Russian cybercriminal, as responsible for the Medibank data breach, which affected 9.7 million people.  Ekmakov has been issued a cyber sanction under the Australian Autonomous Sanctions Act 2011 for his role in the incident in 2022.  The cyberattack led to the publication of 9.7 million records on the dark web.  This contained the personal information of Australian citizens, including names, dates of birth, Medicare numbers, and other sensitive medical data.  The sanctions mean it is now a criminal offense to provide assets to Ermakov or to use or deal with his assets, including through cryptocurrency wallets or ransomware payments.  The Australian government noted that these offenses are punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment and heavy fines.  Ermakov is also banned from traveling to or remaining in Australia.  It is the first time the Australian government has imposed a sanction under the 2011 statute.

Infosecurity Magazine reports: "Australia Sanctions Russian Hacker Behind Medibank Breach"