The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control has imposed sanctions on Russian bulletproof hosting service provider Aeza Group over its support of ransomware and information-stealing malware operations aimed at U.S. technology firms and defense organizations, according to CyberScoop.
Aside from sanctioning Aeza Group's part-owners Asenii Aleksandrovich Penzev and Yurii Meruzhanovich Bozoyan, who had been apprehended by Russia over their role in the illicit drug marketplace BlackSprut, the U.S. also implemented punitive action against the hosting provider's UK affiliate Aeza International, as well as its subsidiaries Aeza Logistic and Cloud Solutions. Such a development comes after Zservers, another Russian bulletproof hosting provider, had been sanctioned by U.S., UK, and Australian authorities over its support to the LockBit ransomware gang. "Treasury, in close coordination with the U.K. and our other international partners, remains resolved to expose the critical nodes, infrastructure, and individuals that underpin this criminal ecosystem," said Treasury Acting Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley Smith.
Aside from sanctioning Aeza Group's part-owners Asenii Aleksandrovich Penzev and Yurii Meruzhanovich Bozoyan, who had been apprehended by Russia over their role in the illicit drug marketplace BlackSprut, the U.S. also implemented punitive action against the hosting provider's UK affiliate Aeza International, as well as its subsidiaries Aeza Logistic and Cloud Solutions. Such a development comes after Zservers, another Russian bulletproof hosting provider, had been sanctioned by U.S., UK, and Australian authorities over its support to the LockBit ransomware gang. "Treasury, in close coordination with the U.K. and our other international partners, remains resolved to expose the critical nodes, infrastructure, and individuals that underpin this criminal ecosystem," said Treasury Acting Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley Smith.
