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VPN service favored by ransomware groups is sanctioned by US

Therecord.Media • July 13, 2026

The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions against First VPN Service (1VPNS) and its Ukrainian administrator for aiding ransomware groups. Separately, a Belarusian man was sanctioned for malware "cryptors."

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US Treasury Sanctions VPN and Malware Providers for Ransomware Support On July 13, 2026, the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned First VPN Service (1VPNS), its administrator Dmytro Rashevskyi, and malware provider Yegeniy Vladimirovich Silayev for enabling ransomware attacks against U.S. entities. The sanctions target the infrastructure and tools that ransomware groups use, which have caused billions in losses to U.S. businesses and critical infrastructure. 1VPNS has been linked to numerous ransomware operations since 2014, advertising on cybercriminal forums and claiming to maintain no logs of user activities. Rashevskyi allegedly used false identities to procure infrastructure from other providers. Silayev is accused of selling cryptors that disguise malware as legitimate software. This action is part of a broader effort to disrupt the cybercrime ecosystem and was coordinated with the UK government. The sanctions block all property of the designated individuals within U.S. jurisdiction. 35 sources 72

VPN service favored by ransomware groups is sanctioned by US

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Extracted Entities

Attack Types (2)

Malware (1)