Eric Geller reports:
A Russian ransomware gang on Friday threatened to hack the critical infrastructure of any nation or organization that retaliates against Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine, according to a statement shared by cybersecurity researchers.
Read more at Politico.
Here is Conti’s “Warning,” as posted on their site (the following appears to be a revision of an earlier warning):
As a response to Western warmongering and American threats to use cyber warfare against the citizens of Russian Federation, the Conti Team is officially announcing that we will use our full capacity to deliver retaliatory measures in case the Western warmongers attempt to target critical civilian infrastructure in Russia or any Russian-speaking region of the world. We do not ally with any government and we condemn the ongoing war. However, since the West is known to wage its wars primarily by targeting civilians, we will use our resources in order to strike back if the well being and safety of peaceful citizens will be at stake due to American cyber aggression.
Geller reports that the threat might make Conti a valid target for military action:
A valid target: Conti’s declaration could carry legal consequences if military lawyers conclude that the group is essentially an arm of the Russian government. Such a conclusion could affect the kinds of operations the U.S. launches against it and the agencies involved in conducting those attacks.