U.S. State Department and OFAC sanction Operation Zero over trade secret theft
Regulatory/Legal Action
Summary
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The U.S. State Department and OFAC imposed sanctions on Operation Zero, Sergey Sergeyevich Zelenyuk, and STS under PAIPA, escalating pressure on a cyber-exploit broker tied to trade secret theft. The action matters because Treasury said the network acquired and distributed cyber tools that could harm U.S. national security.
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Timeline
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25.02.2026 10:49 2 articles · 4mo ago
U.S. sanctions Operation Zero and sentences former L3Harris employee Peter Williams
Legal Policy Action UpdateThe U.S. State Department and the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated and sanctioned Operation Zero (aka Matrix LLC), Sergey Sergeyevich Zelenyuk, Special Technology Services LLC FZ (STS), and related parties under the Protecting American Intellectual Property Act (PAIPA) for acquiring and distributing cyber tools harmful to U.S. national security. On the same day, former U.S. defense contractor L3Harris employee Peter Williams was sentenced to a little over seven years in prison after pleading guilty in October 2025 to stealing and selling eight zero-day exploits to Russian broker Operation Zero for up to $4 million in cryptocurrency, with L3Harris estimating $35 million in financial losses.
Show sources
- Defense Contractor Employee Jailed for Selling 8 Zero-Days to Russian Broker — thehackernews.com — 25.02.2026 10:49
- Defense Contractor Employee Jailed for Selling 8 Zero-Days to Russian Broker — thehackernews.com — 25.02.2026 10:49