Bipartisan US Lawmakers Request Sanctions Against Hack-for-Hire Firms

Lawmakers Urge Sanctions

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers, including Senators Ron Wyden and Sheldon Whitehouse, and Congressman Pat Harrigan, sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The letter requests that three Indian companies—BellTroX, CyberRoot, and Sunkissed Organic Farms (formerly Appin)—be added to the Commerce Department’s economic sanctions “entity list.”

Allegations of Cyberattacks and Espionage

The lawmakers accuse these firms of conducting cyberattacks and targeted espionage against Americans, business owners, and their lawyers for over a decade. These activities allegedly aim to manipulate ongoing litigation and have involved stealing data from thousands of Americans. The firms are also accused of an “aggressive censorship campaign” to suppress public awareness of their actions.

Impact of Entity List Sanctions

Inclusion on the entity list would effectively prohibit US businesses from transacting with these firms. This restriction would limit the companies' access to critical technology, including software licenses and cloud infrastructure, necessary for their operations.

Suppression of Reporting

The lawmakers highlighted concerns that these firms use foreign courts to silence US reporting on their activities, undermining constitutional rights. One of the accused companies, Appin, previously secured a court order in India to force Reuters to remove reporting about it, though the order was later lifted and the report republished.

Uncertain Outcome

It remains unclear whether the Commerce Department will act on the lawmakers' request. A spokesperson for the department did not respond to inquiries regarding the matter.