WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions Thursday on a Russia-based "bulletproof" hosting service accused of providing critical infrastructure to ransomware gangs, state-sponsored hackers, and transnational cybercriminals. The action targets ApexGuard Solutions, a shadowy provider alleged to have facilitated attacks against U.S. hospitals, schools, and critical infrastructure since 2019.
According to the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), ApexGuard operated as a "digital safe haven" for threat actors, ignoring takedown requests and law enforcement subpoenas while profiting from clients deploying ransomware, phishing schemes, and stolen-data markets. The firm’s services allegedly enabled the LockBit and Conti ransomware syndicates, both linked to multimillion-dollar extortion campaigns.
"Bulletproof hosting providers like ApexGuard are the lifeblood of the cybercrime underworld," said Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo. "They deliberately shield malicious actors from accountability, fueling attacks that harm American lives and businesses." The sanctions freeze ApexGuard’s U.S.-linked assets and prohibit Americans from transacting with the entity.
The full designation, announced on Thursday, underscores the Biden administration’s escalating campaign to disrupt cybercrime ecosystems. Treasury analysts noted ApexGuard leased servers and domains to hackers while employing counter-forensic tactics—including frequent infrastructure relocation and cryptocurrency payments—to evade detection.
Cybersecurity experts welcomed the move. "This isn’t just about one provider," said Kara Lin, a threat intelligence lead at Recorded Future. "It’s a strike against the entire illicit supply chain. Without these enablers, ransomware groups lose operational agility."
The sanctions follow a joint advisory by the U.S., U.K., and Australia warning of Russian cybercriminal "safe havens." Moscow has yet to comment, though experts doubt Russia will cooperate, citing historical tolerance for cybercrime targeting Western entities.
The Treasury warned that entities transacting with ApexGuard risk secondary sanctions. Simultaneously, the FBI and CISA released technical advisories to help organizations harden defenses against ApexGuard-linked threats.
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