WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States and Britain have sanctioned additional members of a Russian hacking gang known as Trickbot and U.S. officials have indicted nine people with ties to the group’s malware and the Conti ransomware schemes, the U.S. Treasury Department said on Thursday.
The two countries imposed sanctions against seven leading members of Trickbot in February, noting the group’s role in targeting hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the U.S. government and American companies.
Treasury said Thursday’s action targeted “key actors involved in management and procurement for the Trickbot group,” and cited the gang’s ties to Russian intelligence services.
While such sanctions tend to be largely symbolic given that Russia is already heavily sanctioned and cybercriminals based there tend to steer clear of the United States or Britain, officials have said they can make it harder for hackers to launder money.
The U.S. Justice Department was also unsealing indictments against nine individuals tied to the gang, Treasury said.
(Reporting by Susan Heavey; editing by Doina Chiacu)
