OFAC Sanctions Iran-Affiliated Cyber Actors
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned 10 individuals and two entities for their roles in conducting malicious cyber acts, it said in a Sept. 14 notice. The designations are part of a joint action with the State Department, DOJ, FBI, U.S. Cyber Command, NSA, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The designated individuals and entities are affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). OFAC said the action "continues the series of designations that aim to protect U.S. persons from ransomware activity, facilitators of ransomware activity, and other cybercrime."
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“Ransomware actors and other cybercriminals, regardless of their national origin or base of operations, have targeted businesses and critical infrastructure across the board, directly threatening the physical security and economy of the United States and other nations,” Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said in a news release. “We will continue to take coordination action with our global partners to combat and deter ransomware threats, including those associated with the IRGC.”
Reported ransomware payments in the U.S. reached over $590 million in 2021 and have disrupted critical services and businesses globally, OFAC said. The action demonstrates the U.S. commitment to disrupting ransomware attacks. The U.S. will not tolerate malicious cyber activities that target "the backbone of the U.S. economy and critical infrastructure," OFAC said.