US sanctions new Russian entities over cyberattacks

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The U.S. on Monday slapped new sanctions on five Russian entities and three Russian individuals over their alleged roles in cyberattacks, including the NotPetya malware attack.

Among those designated are Kvant Scientific Research Institute, an entity the Treasury Department said is controlled by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).

All three of the individuals blacklisted Monday have alleged ties to Divetechnoservices, which the Treasury Department said provides material and technological support to the FSB in the form of underwater equipment and diving services since 2007. The three individuals are the company's general director, Aleksandr Lvovich Tribun, its program manager, Oleg Sergeyevich Chirikov and its general director, Vladimir Yakovlevich Kaganskiy.

The Treasury Department said Russia "has been active in tracking undersea communication cables, which carry the bulk of the world’s telecommunications data", further blaming Russia for the NotPetya cyberattack that infected computers across the world in 2017, and attacks on the U.S. energy grid.

"The 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 Russia’s offensive cyber capabilities," Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said in a statement. "The entities designated today have directly contributed to improving Russia’s cyber and underwater capabilities through their work with the FSB and therefore jeopardize the safety and security of the United States and our allies."

All property and assets belonging to the individuals and entities within the U.S. have been frozen as a result of the Treasury Depoartment’s actions, and all U.S. individuals are prohibited from doing business with them.