Xakep, Repa, Probiv, Spy

Will Thomas

This talk will be about the lessons learned from studying the dynamics between the Russian-speaking cybercrime underground and the Russian government over the last few years. We will review Russia’s position as the epicentre of organized cybercrime campaigns on the internet and the impact it has had during its war of aggression against Ukraine and destructive cyberattacks on Ukraine’s neighbouring NATO allies. With a brutally low average salary per month and failing economy, cybercrime is an alluring avenue for many skilled Russian technologists and is fuelled by the Russian government’s de facto tolerance and selective enforcement. While some Russian cybercriminals face arrests, deciphering the threshold at which their activities become intolerable for Russian law enforcement remains a challenging puzzle. Join me, as we unravel the complexities of the intersection between state-sponsored intelligence operations and state-permitted organized cybercrime, shedding light on the implications for global cybersecurity.