Federal government names Russian citizen in relation to Medibank cyberattack, levels sanctions
Australia has used cyber-sanction powers for the first time on Russian citizen Aleksandr Gennadievich Ermakov in relation to the Medibank cyberattack in October 2022.
This is the first time Australia has used such laws, with Ermakov, 33, now facing targeted financial sanctions and Australian travel bans.
Defence Minister Richard Marles, Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, and Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neill made the announcement at Parliament House on Tuesday.
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The private medical data of nearly 10 million Australians was stolen in the major hack in October 2022, with some of the information later leaked online.
A number of class action lawsuits have been filed as a result of the unprecedented hack.
“More than nine million records of Australians, including names, dates of birth, Medicare numbers and sensitive information were stolen in the 2022 attack,” Wong said.
“The majority published on the dark web. It was an egregious violation, it impacted some of the most vulnerable members of the Australian community.”
