US sanctions group of Iran-linked 'malicious' cyber actors
The Justice Department announced charges against three Iranian nationals for their alleged role in a global computer hacking scheme.
The United States on Wednesday announced sanctions on 10 individuals and two companies affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) accused of conducting “malicious” cyber acts, including ransomware activity.
“Today’s actions demonstrate our commitment to disrupting ransomware infrastructure and actors,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. “The United States will not tolerate malicious cyber activities victimizing the backbone of the US economy and critical infrastructure.”
These designations were part of a joint action with the Justice Department, Treasury Department, FBI, USCYBERCOM, the National Security Agency, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
The latest designations mark the third time this month that the administration has imposed non-nuclear related sanctions on Iranian individuals and entities, and come as the talks to revive the nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action have reached an impasse.
