Russia has proposed tougher penalties for cybercrime, including longer prison sentences, asset seizures, and stricter cybersecurity measures.
On February 10, 2025, the Russian government unveiled a comprehensive legislative package aimed at combating cybercrime with harsher penalties. This reform, which amends over 30 existing laws, seeks to modernize Russia’s cybersecurity landscape by increasing prison sentences, expanding asset confiscation measures, and introducing public trials for prominent cybercriminals.
The move comes in response to an increase in state-backed hacking campaigns targeting critical infrastructure both within Russia and globally, including recent attacks on water facilities in Texas and industrial systems in Poland, attributed to groups like Cyber Army Russia Reborn.
The proposed legislation significantly strengthens penalties within Russia’s Criminal Code, particularly for crimes under Articles 272 (unauthorized access), 273 (malware distribution), and 274.1 (damage to critical information infrastructure, or CII). Hacking into government or corporate systems now carries prison sentences of 5 to 15 years, up from a previous maximum of 6 years. Cyber fraud schemes affecting large victim pools—defined as hundreds of individuals or millions of assets—will now carry 12-year sentences, double the previous limit.
The bill also allows courts to seize cryptocurrencies and other digital assets linked to illegal activities, addressing a critical gap in enforcing blockchain transaction tracking.
Provisions Against Organized Cybercrime
- Asset Freezes and Employment Bans: Financial institutions are required to freeze accounts within 24 hours of detecting suspicious activity, and convicted hackers face 10-year bans from working in IT, finance, or public-sector positions.
- Public Trials: High-profile cybercrime cases will be broadcast publicly, a move proponents argue will deter potential offenders by ensuring transparency in investigations. However, some critics worry that this could expose sensitive cybersecurity methods.
- Enhanced Extradition Frameworks: Despite previous tensions with Western countries, Russia has pledged to improve its collaboration with Interpol to extradite hackers living abroad. This effort contrasts with past difficulties, such as the ongoing U.S.-Russia extradition stalemate over cross-border ransomware attacks.
Organizations managing critical infrastructures like energy grids, transportation systems, and financial networks must now install state-approved intrusion detection systems (IDS) that are compatible with the GosSOPKA national monitoring platform. The Federal Security Service (FSB) will have the power to access real-time traffic logs from telecom providers and mandate automated threat reporting via the FinCERT portal, a centralized hub for banking-sector cyber incidents.
Additionally, Russia’s National Coordination Center (NCC) for Computer Incidents will oversee the introduction of a new “Antifraud System” to flag unauthorized financial transfers, further enhancing its 2024 automated incident processing capabilities.
This legislative overhaul marks the most significant change to Russia’s cybercrime laws since the 2017 CII regulations. By implementing advanced monitoring systems, harsher penalties, and public accountability measures, the government aims to target both individual hackers and state-sponsored groups.
However, the success of the initiative depends on balancing international cooperation with enforcement, a challenge exacerbated by years of mistrust in cyberspace. With global ransomware damage approaching $10 trillion annually, the world will be closely watching whether Russia’s “digital deterrence” model sets a new global standard or deepens existing cyber tensions.
