US sanctions Russian research institute over suspicious malware

US sanctions Russian research institute over suspicious malware

The United States has imposed sanctions on a Russian government research institute it claimed had developed tools enabling a cyberattack on an undisclosed Middle Eastern petrochemical company in 2017.

In a statement on Friday, the US Treasury Department said Russia's Research Institute of Chemistry and Mechanics (TsNIIKhM) had supported the attack, which used Triton malware to target the company's critical infrastructure. "The Russian government continues to engage in dangerous cyber activities aimed at the United States and our allies," said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. "This administration will continue to aggressively defend the critical infrastructure of the United States from anyone attempting to disrupt it." Washington said TsNIIKhM was responsible for "building customized tools that enabled the attack" on the facility that resulted in major industrial damage. Triton is specially developed to target industrial plants