The Council of the European Union has imposed sanctions on three companies from China and Iran, along with two individuals, for their involvement in cyberattacks targeting devices and critical infrastructure across multiple regions. Among the sanctioned entities is China-based Integrity Technology Group, which the EU says provided technical and operational support between 2022 and 2023 that contributed to the compromise of over 65,000 devices across six EU member states. Another Chinese firm, Anxun Information Technology, has been accused of offering hacking services aimed at disrupting critical infrastructure and essential services in both EU countries and other regions.

The EU also sanctioned two individuals linked to Anxun Information Technology. Identified as co-founders of the company, they are believed to have played key roles in orchestrating cyber operations targeting European systems. From Iran, the company Emennet Pasargad has been added to the sanctions list for its involvement in multiple cyber-enabled influence campaigns. The group has been linked to the breach of an SMS service in Sweden and the manipulation of digital advertising billboards during the 2024 Paris Olympics to spread misleading information.

Further reports indicate that Emennet Pasargad operated under the alias “Holy Souls” on underground forums. In early 2023, the actor allegedly attempted to sell personal data belonging to approximately 230,000 subscribers of the French publication Charlie Hebdo. The data reportedly included names and addresses, with a demand of 20 bitcoins valued at roughly $340,000 at the time and a sample dataset released as proof. Authorities believe Emennet Pasargad has longstanding ties to the Iranian government, providing cyber capabilities and supporting influence operations. In 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or capture of two Iranian nationals associated with the group.

As part of the sanctions, all listed individuals and entities are subject to asset freezes within the EU. Additionally, EU citizens and businesses are prohibited from providing them with financial resources or economic support. The sanctioned individuals are also banned from entering or transiting through EU member states. Integrity Technology Group has previously drawn attention from U.S. authorities. In 2024, the FBI linked the company to the “Raptor Train” botnet, a large-scale network of compromised devices allegedly operated by the Chinese state-backed threat actor known as Flax Typhoon. The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned the firm in early 2025 for its role in enabling the botnet, which reportedly infected around 260,000 devices.

Similarly, Anxun Information Technology also known as i-Soon has faced scrutiny from U.S. agencies. In March 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice sanctioned the company for marketing hacker-for-hire services and conducting cyber operations dating back to at least 2011. A data breach in February 2024 exposed internal documents, shedding light on the company’s tools, tactics, and connections to state-linked cyber activities. U.S. authorities have also announced rewards of up to $10 million for information that could help locate key executives and technical personnel associated with Anxun. The European Union first introduced its cyber sanctions framework in 2019. With the latest additions, the measures now target a total of 19 individuals and seven organizations accused of engaging in malicious cyber activities.

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