Bipartisan Lawmakers Urge US to Ban Hack-for-Hire Firms
A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has called on the Commerce Department to add three Indian hack-for-hire firms—BellTroX, CyberRoot, and Sunkissed Organic Farms (formerly Appin)—to its economic sanctions 'entity list.' The lawmakers accuse these companies of conducting cyberattacks against Americans for over a decade, including targeting business owners, lawyers, and even former U.S. officials to influence litigation outcomes. The letter highlights the firms' alleged use of foreign courts to suppress media coverage in the U.S., which the lawmakers argue undermines constitutional rights by keeping citizens unaware of cyber threats. The request follows extensive reporting on how these companies operate at the behest of governments, including Qatar, and have engaged in aggressive legal tactics against news outlets like Reuters. The Commerce Department has not yet responded to the letter or confirmed whether it will act on the recommendation.
Topics: cybersecurity foreign policy hack-for-hire U.S. government action