On Tuesday, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on Aeza Group, a Russian "bulletproof hosting" service provider. The company is accused of facilitating cybercriminal activities, including ransomware attacks and drug marketplaces on the darknet targeting victims worldwide, including in the U.S.
The role of Aeza Group and Crypto connections
Bradley T. Smith, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes, stated: "Cybercriminals continue to rely heavily on bulletproof hosting providers such as Aeza Group to facilitate disruptive ransomware attacks, steal U.S. technology, and sell drugs on the black market."
Bulletproof hosting providers offer technical infrastructure that allows cybercriminals to operate without being taken down by law enforcement. According to TRM Labs, the actions of #OFAC include designating a cryptocurrency wallet address linked to Aeza Group, which has received over $350,000 in illegal funds. This wallet is linked to the sanctioned exchange Garantex and other cybercriminal services, with regular withdrawals to global cryptocurrency platforms.
Aeza Group, based in St. Petersburg, Russia, has hosted infrastructure for ransomware groups such as BianLian and information theft operations like Meduza and Lumma. The company also supports information theft panels RedLine and the notorious drug marketplace Blacksprut on the darknet, which trades in global drugs.
Leaders and related entities sanctioned
The Treasury Department stated that the leadership team of Aeza Group includes CEO Arsenii Penzev and General Director Yurii Bozoyan, both of whom have been previously detained by Russian authorities for hosting a drug marketplace. Technical Director Vladimir Gast and co-owner Igor Knyazev were also named in the sanctions list.
OFAC also sanctioned three related entities: UK-based Aeza International Ltd. and its Russian subsidiaries Aeza Logistic LLC and Cloud Solutions LLC.
These sanctions block all property and interests of the designated parties within the United States or under the control of U.S. persons. U.S. entities are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions involving the named individuals and organizations, and violations may result in civil or criminal penalties.