UK sanctions Russia's Zservers over cyber crimes

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain sanctioned Russian cyber group Zservers and six of its members on Tuesday, saying they helped facilitate crippling ransomware attacks globally.

The measures, taken in coordination with the U.S. and Australia, will impose asset freezes on Zservers and its UK front company XHOST Internet Solutions LP, and asset freezes and travel bans on the six individuals.

Affiliates of notorious cybercriminal group Lockbit are known to have used Zservers as a launch pad for ransomware attacks, Britain said.

Ransomware attacks, which can compromise sensitive data, disrupt essential services and threaten national security, generated $1 billion from their victims globally in 2023 alone, it added.

"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin has built a corrupt mafia state  driven by greed and ruthlessness," Foreign Secretary David Lammy said in a statement.

"It is no surprise that the most unscrupulous extortionists and cyber-criminals run rampant from within his borders."

(Reporting by Sarah Young and Sachin Ravikumar; Editing by Michael Holden)

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