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US Targets Russian Hackers in First-Ever Action Under New Intellectual Property Law
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The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned Russian national Sergey Sergeyevich Zelenyuk, his company Matrix LLC (Operation Zero), and five associated individuals and entities for their role in acquiring and distributing cyber tools harmful to US national security, the Department reported on February 24.
Zelenyuk and Operation Zero have been involved in the acquisition of “exploits”–techniques that exploit vulnerabilities in software, allowing unauthorized access and stealing information–and have offered substantial rewards for exploits targeting US-made software.
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Operation Zero is accused of obtaining at least eight proprietary US cyber tools stolen from a US company, which were then sold to unauthorized users. This marks the first-ever enforcement action under the Protecting American Intellectual Property Act (PAIPA), which targets individuals who steal US trade secrets, potentially threatening US national security.
In addition to Zelenyuk and his company, OFAC also sanctioned individuals such as Marina Evgenyevna Vasanovich (Zelenyuk’s assistant), and entities like Special Technology Services LLC FZ (STS), a UAE-based technology company.
OFAC further sanctioned Azizjon Makhmudovich Mamashoyev, Oleg Vyacheslavovich Kucherov, and Advance Security Solutions, a brokerage firm involved in the illegal sale of US software exploits.
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OFAC’s sanctions block all property and interests of the designated individuals and entities within the US and prohibit US persons from engaging in transactions involving those listed. Violations of US sanctions could result in significant penalties, with the goal of curbing cyber threats and protecting American intellectual property, US Department of the Treasury wrote.
Earlier, the US had unsealed a grand jury indictment revealing how Russian GRU hackers targeted critical infrastructure across the country.
The cyberattacks impacted a Northwest Missouri Regional Airport, drinking water and storage facilities in Texas, Pennsylvania, and Indiana, and a meat packing plant in California.
One attack caused 200,000 gallons of water to overflow in Texas, while another resulted in the spoilage of 2,000 pounds of meat. The indictment sheds light on the growing threat of Russian cyberattacks on US infrastructure.
