Odaily Planet Daily News: The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against Russian cybersecurity company Operation Zero and its leader Sergey Sergeyevich Zelenyuk, accusing the company of funding cyber theft activities targeting U.S. trade secrets through cryptocurrency. The sanctions also include five other individuals accused of using cyber attack tools to threaten U.S. national security.
This action stems from a U.S. Department of Justice investigation last year. Australian citizen Peter Williams admitted to stealing proprietary software from his employer, a U.S. defense contractor, and delivering confidential information to Operation Zero in exchange for millions of dollars in cryptocurrency. Williams has pleaded guilty to two counts of trade secret theft.
The U.S. Treasury stated that Operation Zero primarily engages in trading exploit tools that leverage software vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access, steal data, or control devices. The company also pays rewards through a bounty system to those who carry out attacks. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that if anyone steals U.S. trade secrets, the U.S. government will hold them accountable and will continue to protect sensitive technology and national security.
Disclaimer: The information on this page may come from third parties and does not represent the views or opinions of Gate. The content displayed on this page is for reference only and does not constitute any financial, investment, or legal advice. Gate does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information and shall not be liable for any losses arising from the use of this information. Virtual asset investments carry high risks and are subject to significant price volatility. You may lose all of your invested principal. Please fully understand the relevant risks and make prudent decisions based on your own financial situation and risk tolerance. For details, please refer to
Disclaimer.
Related Articles
Warren Targets Trump-Linked Crypto Bank Bid
Sen. Elizabeth Warren is advocating for the rejection of World Liberty Financial's bank charter application, citing concerns over undisclosed foreign ownership and potential conflicts of interest linked to Trump's crypto venture. She demands transparency from regulators regarding stakeholders.
CryptoFrontNews58m ago
Libra Case: Messages Involving President Milei Detected in Forensic Expertise; Others Deleted
Experts who reviewed electronic devices seized as part of the ongoing probe on Libra, the token promoted by President Javir Milei, detected communications between Milei and Mauricio Novelli, one of the individuals linked to the token launch. Several messages in other conversations were erased.
Lib
Coinpedia58m ago
The Special Task Force of the District of Columbia Fraud Center has seized and frozen $580 million worth of cryptocurrency assets.
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia announced that the Special Task Force of the Fraud Center has frozen and seized over $580 million in cryptocurrency, primarily from scam networks in Southeast Asia. The task force is dedicated to combating transnational "pig-butchering" scams and will do its best to return the funds to the victims.
GateNews4h ago
DC Scam Center Strike Force Crypto Seizures, Freezes Hit $580M
Freezes and seizures of cryptocurrency by the Scam Center Strike Force from Southeast Asian crime networks have topped $580 million, according to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.
In an announcement Thursday, Jeanine Pirro stated that the force had made “significant progress” in
Decrypt4h ago
$1.2M in Profits Tied to Insider-Linked Addresses in ZachXBT Market Bet
_Eight insider-linked wallets captured $1.2M in profits, mostly from single-market bets placed before odds shifted._
On-chain data has intensified scrutiny around a Polymarket event linked to a ZachXBT insider probe. Trading records show heavy profit concentration among a small cluster of wallet
LiveBTCNews5h ago