Lawmakers Urge Ban on Hack-for-Hire Firms Targeting Americans
A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers, including Democratic Senators Ron Wyden and Sheldon Whitehouse, and Republican Congressman Pat Harrigan, has formally requested the U.S. government to ban several hack-for-hire firms. These companies are accused of conducting cyberattacks against Americans and using foreign courts to suppress U.S. reporting on their activities. The lawmakers sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, urging the addition of three Indian companies—BellTroX, CyberRoot, and Sunkissed Organic Farms (formerly Appin)—to the Commerce Department’s economic sanctions 'entity list.' The letter alleges that these firms have engaged in cyberattacks and targeted espionage for over a decade, impacting Americans, business owners, and their lawyers, often to manipulate ongoing litigation. The lawmakers also claim these mercenary hacking companies have stolen data from thousands of Americans and orchestrated an 'aggressive censorship campaign' to hide their alleged actions.
