US Sanctions Iranian Companies For Attempting Cyberattacks On Behalf Of Revolutionary Guard Corps

us sanctions iranian companies for attempting cyberattacks on behalf of revolutionary guard corps

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions on two corporate entities and four individuals involved in malevolent cyber activities on behalf of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Cyber Electronic Command (IRGC-CEC). These entities and individuals targeted over a dozen U.S. companies and governmental bodies through various cyber operations, including spear phishing and malware attacks. Simultaneously, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have unsealed an indictment against the four individuals for their roles in cyber operations targeting U.S. entities.

Brian E. Nelson, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, highlighted the ongoing attempts of Iranian cyber actors to target American interests with the goal of undermining vital infrastructure and harming American civilians. The US is still dedicated to using an all-encompassing strategy across governmental domains to reveal and obstruct the activities of these malevolent networks.

Iranian cybercriminals continue to target the United States with a wide range of hostile cyberattacks, from spear phishing and social engineering efforts against private citizens and government agencies to ransomware attacks on vital infrastructure. One of the main organizers of Iranian government-sponsored cyber operations, the IRGC-CEC uses a network of front firms to conduct its operations both inside and outside of the United States. Although these front firms’ management and key workers are aware of their assistance for the IRGC-CEC, the Iranian public is still largely ignorant of these organizations’ real connections and the illegal ways in which the IRGC-CEC uses them.

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Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as modified, which establishes the counterterrorism power, is followed in carrying out the current enforcement action. Notably, the IRGC-CEC was recognized on January 12, 2018, in accordance with E.O. 13606 because of its affiliation with the IRGC, which was designated on October 13, 2017, in accordance with E.O. 13224. Six IRGC-CEC officers were previously named by OFAC in February 2024 in response to recent cyber actions. Unauthorized access to key infrastructure systems poses serious dangers, potentially having negative effects on public welfare and humanitarian issues, even if these actions did not impair vital services.

The IRGC-CEC has identified front firms, including Mehrsam Andisheh Saz Nik (MASN), which was previously known as Mahak Rayan Afzar, as facilitators of hostile cyber activity. Two former members of MASN, Alireza Shafie Nasab and Reza Kazemifar Rahman, have been linked to cyberattacks on American organizations. On behalf of the IRGC-CEC, another front company, Dadeh Afzar Arman (DAA), has also waged malicious cyber campaigns. DAA employs people like Hosein Mohammad Haruni and Komeil Baradaran Salmani, who have been connected to spear phishing campaigns that have targeted U.S. organizations, such as the Department of the Treasury.

All assets and interests in assets owned by the designated businesses and people that are based in the US or are owned by US citizens are banned in response to these measures and need to be reported to OFAC. Moreover, blocking also applies to any entities that are directly or indirectly, singly or collectively, owned by one or more blocked individuals. Unless approved by OFAC, transactions involving the property or interests in the property of designated or otherwise banned individuals are often forbidden.

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Financial institutions and other organizations run the risk of facing penalties or legal action if they deal with or interact with persons and companies that have been sanctioned. These restrictions include giving money, products, or services to or for the benefit of specific individuals as well as accepting donations or gifts from such organizations.

The penalties imposed by OFAC are based on its designation power as well as its readiness to take individuals off the sanctions lists in compliance with applicable laws. The main goal of penalties is to promote constructive behavioral change rather than to have a punitive effect. Refer to OFAC’s Frequently Asked Questions and comprehensive removal procedure instructions for information on how to request removal from any OFAC list, including the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List).