US Treasury: Companies may be punished for paying ransoms to sanctioned hackers

In a pair of advisories, the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control and its Financial Crimes Enforcement Network warned that facilitators could be prosecuted even if they or the victims did not know that the hackers demanding the ransom were subject to US sanctions. — Reuters

WASHINGTON: Facilitating ransomware payments to sanctioned hackers may be illegal, the US Treasury said on Oct 1, signalling a crackdown on the fast-growing market for consultants who help organisations pay off cybercriminals.

In a pair of advisories, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control and its Financial Crimes Enforcement Network warned that facilitators could be prosecuted even if they or the victims did not know that the hackers demanding the ransom were subject to US sanctions.