The US Department of the Treasury has announced new sanctions against the Russian Federation, adding four individuals and three companies suspected of involvement in cybercrime to the list.
This is reported by Finway
Who Has Been Sanctioned by the US
The updated sanctions list includes Russian citizens Sergey Zelenyuk, Oleg Kucherov, and Marina Vasanovich, as well as Uzbek citizen Azizhon Mamashoev. According to US authorities, Sergey Zelenyuk is suspected of acquiring and subsequently reselling at least eight cyber tools that belonged to the US government. This involves software that was stolen from an American company and sold without the necessary permissions.
Sanctions Against Companies and New Types of Threats
Among the legal entities sanctioned are Advance Security Solutions and Special Technology Services LLC FZ, registered in the United Arab Emirates, as well as the Russian company MATRIX LLC. The agency emphasized that these individuals and entities specialize in the acquisition, sale, and distribution of so-called zero-day exploits—unknown vulnerabilities in software.
The agency notes that the individuals involved are engaged in the acquisition, sale, and distribution of undisclosed software vulnerabilities—so-called zero-day exploits. Such tools can be used to conduct cyberattacks, steal data, and create ransomware.
The use of such tools poses a threat to information security and can be applied to attacks on government, commercial, and private systems. The new restrictive measures have been adopted in accordance with the CAATSA law, which provides for sanctions for violations in the field of intellectual property and activities related to cyber threats.