US slaps sanctions against Russia’s Chemistry, Mechanics Institute

WASHINGTON, Oct 26 (PRIME) -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on October 23 designated Russian government research institution Central Scientific Research Institute of Chemistry and Mechanics (TsNIIKhM) pursuant to the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) for its alleged connection to the destructive Triton malware.

“In August 2017, a petrochemical facility in the Middle East was the target of a cyber-attack involving the Triton malware. This cyber-attack was supported by the State Research Center of the Russian Federation FGUP Central Scientific Research Institute of Chemistry and Mechanics (TsNIIKhM), a Russian government-controlled research institution that is responsible for building customized tools that enabled the attack,” the authority said.

The Triton malware was designed to target a specific industrial control system controller used in some critical infrastructure facilities to initiate immediate shutdown procedures in the event of an emergency.

“The Russian Government continues to engage in dangerous cyber activities aimed at the United States and our allies… This Administration will continue to aggressively defend the critical infrastructure of the United States from anyone attempting to disrupt it,” the authority quoted Secretary Steven Mnuchin as saying.

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