Alleged Medibank Hacker Aleksandr Ermakov Reportedly Detained

Alleged Medibank Hacker Aleksander Emakov Detained

A Russian man named Aleksandr Emakov has reportedly been detained in Russia for alleged cyber crimes regarding the 2022 Medibank hack, of which he has been named largely responsible for.

In the 2022 breach, over 9 million Medibank customers fell victim to a data compromise, wherein their names, birth dates, Medicare numbers, and sensitive health information were pilfered. 

Subsequently, a significant portion of this compromised data was made available for sale on the dark web.

The Australian Federal Police refrained from confirming whether the apprehension reported was linked to the Medibank hack or other cyber attacks. 

In its half-year results, Medibank disclosed that the costs associated with the breach had reached $17.6 million. 

Additionally, the company anticipated that cybercrime expenses, including IT and legal costs, would range between $30 to $35 million for the current financial year.

Australian intelligence has linked Mr Ermakov to the hacking syndicate REvil (otherwise known as Sodinokibi), a Russian cybercrime gang that supplies hacking tools to novices in return for a cut of any ransoms paid.

Cyber crime experts say it was unlikely Mr Ermakov acted alone in stealing Medibank data.