Following speculations regarding participation in cyberattacks across the world, the European Union imposed travel and financial sanctions on a department of Russia’s military intelligence service along with North Korean and Chinese firms.
In its first-ever sanctions associated with cybercrime, the EU targeted the department for special technologies of the Russian military intelligence service, which is known as the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
Russian service has been accused of being involved in the two cyberattacks that happened in June 2017, which hit several companies in Europe. The service is also accused of two cyberattacks against Ukraine’s power grid in 2015 and 2016.
As many as four individuals of the Russian military intelligence service were also sanctioned in connection with alleged participating in a cyber attack attempted against the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in the Netherlands in April 2018.
North Korean company Chosun Expo was also sanctioned on suspicion of having supported the Lazarus Group as the organization is considered responsible for major attacks worldwide.
The company is said to have allegedly participated in a 2014 attack against Hollywood film studio Sony Pictures to prevent the release of a satirical movie about North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Chinese firm Haitai Technology Development, which is accused of having supported cyberattacks aimed at stealing commercially sensitive data from multinationals across the world has also been sanctioned.