Increasing global law enforcement efforts, including the sweeping Operation Endgame, have led Russia to step up its initiatives against cybercriminal operations within the state that it typically ignored in the past, SecurityWeek reports. Since 2023, more threat actors have been subjected to Russia's choreographed arrests as part of its efforts to assert its authority, with attackers increasingly turning to decentralized operations for cover, according to a report by Recorded Future. However, Russia has continued to be a “safe haven” for useful hacking operations and cybercriminals have become more stringent in their procedures. It was also noted that Operation Endgame has resulted in a decline in announced ransomware-as-a-service affiliate programs on the dark web. “Fewer open advertisements and a move toward semi-open recruitment are rational adjustments to perceived infiltration and selective domestic enforcement…The continued emergence of new programs, despite headline pressure, shows that the underlying business remains attractive, but the bar for trust is higher and more culturally limited,” the report said.
The Russian cybercrime landscape has changed with escalating crackdowns
