According to Reuters, the U.S. Treasury Department announced on Monday that it imposed sanctions on three RussiansΒ individuals and five companies, saying that they had cooperated with Moscowβs military and intelligence agencies to conduct cyber attacks against the United States and its allies.Β U.S. Treasury Secretary Mnuchin said in a statement: βThe United States is engaged in an ongoing effort to counter malicious actors working at the behest of the Russian Federation and its military and intelligence units to increase Russiaβs offensive cyber capabilities.β
Mnuchin said: “The entities designated today have directly contributed to improving Russiaβs cyber and underwater capabilities through their work with the FSB and therefore jeopardise the safety and security of the United States and our allies.”
The Russian side did not immediately comment on the new sanctions.Β The U.S. Treasury Department stated that Russiaβs “malign and destabilizing cyber activities” included the NotPetya attacks that occurred last year, which spread across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.Β In February, the White House accused Russia of launching the attack, saying it caused billions of dollars in losses.Β The US Treasury Department announced that these attacks also included attacks on the U.S. energy network and Internet routers and switches.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury pointed out: “Todayβs action also targets the Russian governmentβs underwater capabilities,β it said. βRussia has been active in tracking undersea communication cables, which carry the bulk of the worldβs telecommunications data.” Sanctioned entities include Digital Security, ERPScan, Embedi, Kvant Scientific Research Institute, and Divetechnoservices.
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