The United States has sanctioned Russian hacking firm Operation Zero for allegedly funding cryptocurrency theft of classified software.

The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against Russian cybersecurity firm Operation Zero and its head, Sergey Sergeyevich Zelenyuk, for allegedly funding the theft of U.S. trade secrets through cryptocurrency. The sanctions also include five other individuals accused of using cyberattack tools to endanger U.S. national security. This action stems from an investigation last year by the U.S. Department of Justice. Australian citizen Peter Williams has pleaded guilty to stealing proprietary software from a U.S. defense contractor where he worked and handing over secrets to Operation Zero for millions of dollars in cryptocurrency. Williams has pleaded guilty to two counts of trade secret theft. The Treasury Department stated that Operation Zero primarily deals in exploits, tools that can exploit software vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access, steal data, or control devices. The company also paid rewards to those who carried out attacks. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the U.S. government will hold anyone accountable for stealing U.S. trade secrets and will continue to protect sensitive technologies and national security.