EU Sanctions Chinese Firms, Individuals and Iranian Entity for Cyberattacks

The European Union's Council announced sanctions on Tuesday against two Chinese companies, two associated Chinese individuals, and one Iranian entity for their alleged involvement in cyberattacks targeting member states' critical infrastructure and devices.

The measures target Integrity Technology Group and Anxun Information Technology, both based in China, along with Chen Cheng and Wu Haibo, who serve as general managers and legal representatives of Anxun, also known as iSoon or ISoon. The Iranian company Emennet Pasargad, linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Cyber-Electronic Command, was also added to the list. According to the Council, these sanctions stem from activities that compromised essential services, government networks, and public trust across the bloc.

Integrity Technology Group provided technical support and products that enabled the hacking of more than 65,000 Internet of Things devices in six EU member states between 2022 and 2023. The Council stated that the company routinely supplied tools to threat actors, facilitating access to devices worldwide, including those connected to a botnet operated by the state-sponsored group Flax Typhoon. Anxun...