The Conti Ransomware Gang Supports Russia, Ready To Face The Enemy Against Its Invasion

Illustration of Ramsonsare ( Bermix Studio/Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The Conti ransomware group, which is claimed to have close ties to Russian intelligence, has revealed that it will fully support the country, and attack anyone who opposes the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Conti is known for attacking healthcare providers and hundreds of other targets using ransomware to extort millions of dollars from companies such as the United States (US) and Europe.

The gang said they would use all possible resources to strike back at the critical infrastructure of any entity orchestrating any cyberattack or war activity against Russia.

"If anyone decides to organize any cyberattack or war activity against Russia, we will use all our possible resources to strike back at the enemy's critical infrastructure," Conti said.

The announcement appeared yesterday on a dark web site used by the Conti ransomware group to upload threats and data to their victims. Many of the security researchers believe the gang is based in Russia.

Reporting Reuters on Saturday, February 26, Ukraine has been hit by digital intrusion and denial of service attacks, both ahead of and during the Russian invasion.

The Ukrainian government has also asked for volunteers from the country's underground hackers to help protect critical infrastructure and cyber spies against Russian forces

The Conti ransomware was the culprit behind more than 400 attacks targeting the US between spring 2020 and spring 2021, the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the FBI reported last September.

In May 2021, the FBI warned that Conti was involved in at least 16 ransomware attacks targeting US healthcare and key response services.

The FBI's warning comes after the Conti ransomware was used to attack the Irish Health Services Executive, causing several medical procedures to be canceled and the COVID-19 vaccine portal closed, and could ultimately cost the system more than $112 million.