Australia, the United States and Britain on Tuesday imposed cyber sanctions on a Russian man for his role in the breach at insurer Medibank, one of the country's biggest data thefts which impacted about 10 million customers, APA reports citing Reuters.
Reports of cybercrime in Australia have spiked over recent years with several companies disclosing hacks, prompting the government last year to overhaul its cyber security rules and to set up an agency to help coordinate responses.
Targeted financial sanctions and a travel ban have been imposed on Russian citizen Aleksandr Ermakov after Australian authorities linked him to the breach at Medibank, Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said during a press briefing.
This is the first time Australia has used its cyber sanctions framework since legislating it in 2021. The sanction makes it a criminal offence, punishable by up to 10 years in jail and fines, to provide Ermakov with any assets, including cryptocurrency wallets or ransomware payments.
The sanctions may not result in the arrest of the hacker or deter others from targeting Australian assets but the government's move "is a step in the right direction," said Nigel Phair, cybersecurity professor at the Monash University.
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