U.S. Sanctions First VPN Service and Malware Cryptor Seller Over Ransomware Support

The U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned a VPN service provider, First VPN Service (1VPNS), and its administrator, Dmytro Rashevskyi, for enabling ransomware groups to carry out attacks against U.S. companies and institutions. Simultaneously, the U.K. and E.U. have imposed sanctions on Russian individuals and entities, including members of Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) and cybercriminals involved in deploying tools like Lumma Stealer, targeting routers and critical infrastructure. This action follows a new FBI advisory highlighting Russian FSB Center 16's exploitation of vulnerable routers to conduct cyber espionage.