A report by cybersecurity company Recorded Future sheds light on the 'dark covenant' between Russian intelligence services and the Russian criminal underground. The report found that the Russian state is indirectly affiliated with Russian cybercriminals, which might suggest collaboration. A lack of meaningful punitive actions by the state shows either a tolerance for, or tacit approval of, hacker actions. 

The report notes that DarkSide, REvil, and Avaddon ransomware families halted extortionist activities right before, or days after the Geneva summit, and that certain actors have refused to attack critical infrastructure targets in recent months. Researchers cautiously acknowledged this as a 'preliminary sign that the Biden administration's ultimatum to Russia has been successful'.

However, the report's main finding is that the association between Russian intelligence services and the Russian criminal underground will continue, but that it will be adapted to provide greater plausible deniability.