Russian ransomware gangs’ attacks on Ukraine have faced significant obstacles that have prevented them from having their full effect.
Notorious ransomware gangs such as Conti, Lockbit and others have instead chosen to remain politically neutral in the face of events in Ukraine.
Although the Conti ransomware gang had initially supported President Putin’s government, they were forced to remain neutral after internal chats of the criminal group were published online.
“We do not ally with any government and we condemn the ongoing war,” the group later said on its website.
“For us, it is just business and we are all apolitical. We are only interested in money for our harmless and useful work. We will never, under any circumstances, take part in cyber attacks on critical infrastructures of any country in the world or engage in any international conflicts,” explained Lockbit Ransomware on its website.
Many believe the decision to remain neutral in the Lockbit case is due to a loophole in cybersecurity insurance.
The “force majeure” policy prevents insurers from covering the cost of a ransomware attack during a war.