The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned Russian bulletproof hosting provider Aeza Group for facilitating cybercriminal activities, including ransomware attacks and darknet drug markets. The sanctions target Aeza Group's infrastructure, affiliated entities, and key executives, including CEO Arsenii Penzev and General Director Yurii Bozoyan.
OFAC also designated a crypto wallet linked to Aeza Group, which has processed over $350,000 in illicit funds. The wallet, hosted on the Tron blockchain, was used to receive payments for cybercrime services and showed connections to the sanctioned exchange Garantex. Aeza Group's services supported ransomware groups like BianLian, infostealers such as Meduza and Lumma, and the darknet marketplace Blacksprut.
The sanctions block all property and interests of the designated parties within the U.S., prohibiting transactions with them. This action follows similar measures against other cybercrime enablers, highlighting OFAC's focus on disrupting the infrastructure supporting illicit activities.