The Australian government today has imposed sweeping sanctions on two Russian cybercrime service providers and their key operators accused of enabling criminals to conduct cyber attacks on Australian entities.
The sanctions target Media Land LLC and ML. Cloud LLC – and two of their key personnel – Aleksandr Alexandrovich Volosovik and Kirill Andreevich Zatolokin. The action was taken in concert with key international allies, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Authorities describe these organisations as digital arms dealers and blamed that these organisations were providing the critical ransomware infrastructure that enables other cybercriminals to launch attacks. Authorities claimed that Media Land has been specifically linked to attacks targeting Australian financial institutions, businesses, their customers, and critical infrastructure abroad.
“The Australian Government is taking strong steps to strike back against malicious cyber activity,” said Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Marles. “These actions are about defending our national security and ensuring Australians can live and work safely in a digital world.”
This marks the fifth time the Albanese Government has activated Australia’s autonomous cyber sanctions framework. The penalties are severe: it is now a criminal offence, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and heavy fines, to provide assets to the sanctioned entities or individuals or to use their assets. The two Russian individuals have also been banned from entering Australia.
The government emphasised that this action is not just about punishment, but about dismantling the very tools that enable cybercrime.
“These sanctions don’t just impose costs on criminals, they dismantle the infrastructure that enables cybercrime,” Mr. Marles added. “By disrupting these networks, we make it harder for others to launch attacks and it strengthens Australia’s resilience against future threats.”
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has said that the Albanese Government is working to strengthen Australia’s resilience and keep Australians safe from cyber criminals.
“Working across government and with international partners, we will continue to take action against Russia, to disrupt cybercrime and hold malicious cyber actors to account”, she added.
The sanctions are the result of close collaboration between the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), and international partners, highlighting a coordinated global effort to combat what officials call one of the fastest-growing threats to national security.
“We will continue to do everything we can to break down the networks and alienate the individuals who are driving cyber attacks against Australia and Australian interests,” said Minister for Home Affairs and Cyber Security, Tony Burke.
The government urges Australians to remain vigilant. Cybercrimes, incidents, or vulnerabilities can be reported to the Australian Signals Directorate at 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371) or via their website at www.cyber.gov.au/report.
For businesses, the advice is to update devices regularly, maintain frequent backups of important files, and ensure staff are trained to recognise phishing attempts, including avoiding suspicious websites and not opening emails or clicking links from unknown sources.
