The United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia have taken action by imposing sanctions on the Russia-based bulletproof hosting service provider ZServers, along with five individuals associated with the LockBit ransomware group. This move comes in response to ZServers’ alleged involvement in providing services to cyber threat actors responsible for the Medibank Private data breach in October 2022.

The Australian Federal Police revealed that millions of Medibank customers had their sensitive data compromised due to the actions facilitated by ZServers. In addition to blacklisting ZServers, the enforcement agencies have enforced travel bans and financial sanctions on specific Russian individuals, including the alleged owner and senior employees of ZServers.

“Bulletproof hosting” refers to web hosting services that are resistant to takedowns and often attract clients engaged in illegal activities. Despite their claims of being shielded, these service providers can still be targeted by authorities. As a result of the sanctions, businesses and individuals in the US, UK, and Australia are prohibited from engaging in transactions or any form of business with the sanctioned entities.

LockBit, the ransomware group associated with ZServers, has been notorious for targeting various businesses and organizations worldwide, demanding ransom payments for decryption keys. Notable victims of LockBit include Boeing, Royal Mail, and Accenture.

In related news, cybercriminals have been found hiding malware within website images to avoid detection. Additionally, recommendations for the best password managers and authenticator apps are available for enhanced online security.