BCL Partner John Binns speaks with ICLG about the joint move by the UK, US and Australia to sanction Russian web-infrastructure provider Media Land and its associated entities. The coordinated action targets the “bulletproof-hosting” services that enable ransomware, phishing operations and other forms of cyber-crime.
While the coordinated action reflects a broader shift towards targeting the infrastructure enabling cyber-criminals to operate with impunity, John highlighted both the promise and the limits of this approach.
He described the measures as “a further escalation in the UK’s innovative use of the financial sanctions regime to disrupt serious and organised cyber-crime”, noting their speed, extraterritorial effect and ability to impose immediate financial and reputational consequences.
However, he cautioned that sanctions “deliver a form of administrative rather than criminal justice”, operate on lower evidential thresholds, and may have limited real-world impact on sophisticated actors abroad—all while adding to the compliance burden on UK businesses.
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