The United States Department of the Treasury has targeted a Russian cyber exploit broker known as 'Operation Zero' with economic sanctions. This action comes in response to illicit trading of stolen U.S. government cyber tools. Officials have included Operation Zero and connected individuals on the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list under the Protecting American Intellectual Property Act, aiming to block their U.S. assets and prohibit transactions with U.S. persons.
The sanctions result from a joint investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into a defense contractor employee's sale of proprietary cyber tools for cryptocurrency. These tools, which were developed for defense and intelligence operations, have been redistributed, posing risks of ransomware and espionage.
In addition to Operation Zero, the sanctions extend to an affiliate in the United Arab Emirates and members of the Trickbot cybercrime gang. The Treasury's move reflects a broader U.S. strategy to protect national security by preventing the misuse of American intellectual property and holding accountable those engaged in cyber espionage and theft.
