OFAC imposes blocking sanctions targeting ransomware enablers

OFAC imposed blocking sanctions on two individuals (one Ukrainian, one Belarusian) and one entity (in Ukraine) under its Cyber sanctions program for enabling ransomware attacks against Americans. The designations target First VPN Service (1VPNS), a Ukraine-based VPN provider whose infrastructure has been used by ransomware groups to hide attack origins, deploy malware, and manage exfiltrated data against U.S. businesses, financial services firms, hospitals, and municipal governments, along with its administrator (who used false identities to evade provider scrutiny) and a Belarus-based seller of "cryptors" used to disguise ransomware and other malware from detection.