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US sanctions Russian citizen accused of playing key role in Medibank ransomware attack


The U.S. government sanctioned a Russian national for allegedly playing a “pivotal role” in the ransomware attack against Australian health insurance

The U.S. government sanctioned a Russian national for allegedly playing a “pivotal role” in the ransomware attack against Australian health insurance giant Medibank that exposed the sensitive information of almost 10 million patients. 33-year-old Alexander Ermakov, who has also been sanctioned in Australia and the United Kingdom, stands accused of infiltrating Medibank’s network in October 2022 to steal personally identifiable information (PII) and sensitive health data linked to approximately 9.7 million customers. This data, which was published on the dark web after Medibank refused to pay the hackers’ $10 million ransom demand, included customers’ names, birth dates, passport numbers, information on medical claims, and sensitive files related to abortions and alcohol-related illnesses.

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