Russian trio charged with running cybercrime-friendly hosting service that cost victims $62 million

U.S. federal prosecutors have unsealed an indictment charging three Russian nationals with operating a bulletproof hosting service that allegedly provided critical infrastructure to ransomware gangs and other cybercriminals. The charges, announced by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio, follow a seven-year investigation into the St. Petersburg-based business Media Land and its sister company, ML Cloud, according to BackBox.org.

BackBox.orgUS unseals indictment against alleged operators of Russian bulletproof hosting service

"providing bulletproof hosting (BPH) services to ransomware gangs that caused over $62 million in damages to victims worldwide."

BleepingComputerUS charges alleged operators of Russian bulletproof hosting service

The indictment, BleepingComputer reported, accuses the three men of enabling a wide range of cybercrime, including ransomware, malware, and phishing attacks that collectively inflicted more than $62 million in losses. The scale of the operation underscores how essential such hosting services have become to the criminal ecosystem.

"The indictment was unsealed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio following a seven-year investigation, with the State Department offering a reward of up to $10 million for information."

thecyberexpress.comThree Russian Nationals Indicted in $62M Bulletproof Hosting Cybercrime Case

The U.S. State Department has put a $10 million bounty on the head of each defendant, thecyberexpress.com reported, signaling the high priority placed on dismantling the infrastructure that fuels ransomware attacks. news4hackers.com also covered the charges, noting that the three nationals are alleged to have knowingly provided cybercriminals with servers, domains, and tech support.

news4hackers.comUS Indicts Russian Bulletproof Hosting Providers in Cybercrime Allegations

BackBox.org detailed that the operation was run through Media Land and ML Cloud, both based in St. Petersburg, Russia. The case highlights the continued challenge of prosecuting Russian-based cybercriminals who operate with relative impunity from within the country's borders.