Anecdotally, we know that cybercriminals hailing from Russia are a significant risk to U.S.-based and world companies and governmental entities. With two convicted Russian cybercriminals being released this week in the prisoner swap I was curious just how significant Russian cybercriminals play in cybercrime chaos.

According to Bleeping Computer, “Russian-speaking threat actors accounted for at least 69% of all crypto proceeds linked to ransomware throughout the previous year, exceeding $500,000,000.” This staggering number was provided by TRM Labs, an analytics firm “specializing in crypto-assisted money laundering and financial crime.”

TRM Labs reports that North Korea leads Russia in stealing cryptocurrency through exploits and breaches and stole over a billion dollars in 2023, while Asia, including the Chinese Communist Party, leads in scams and investment fraud.

Nonetheless, Russian-based cybercriminals “consistently drive most types of crypto-enabled cybercrime, from ransomware to illicit crypto exchanges and darknet markets.”