I think people really over-estimate the qualifications of these gangs. What made them successful was never their skills - it was their jurisdictional immunity.

I think people really over-estimate the qualifications of these gangs. What made them successful was never their skills - it was their jurisdictional immunity. They believed that as long as they did not target Russia (or CIS countries), that the Russians would not crack down. What stops most hackers from orchestrating massive attacks, is the threat of arrest and prison. For those most highly skilled IT folks, the income difference between a legitimate cybersecurity job and ransomeware engineer, is not enough to justify the risk.