Uzbek entrepreneur added to US sanctions list

Uzbek citizen Azizjon Mamashov and his UAE-registered company, Advanced Security Solution, have been added to the US sanctions list. The information was published on February 24 on the official website of the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

According to US officials, Mamashov allegedly collaborated with three Russian hackers to steal and illegally sell “zero-day” exploitation tools intended for the US defense sector. Zero-day exploits are tools designed to take advantage of previously undiscovered software vulnerabilities and are considered particularly dangerous due to their undetected nature.

The official statement says the stolen cyber tools were later resold to third-party entities. US authorities подчеркнули that these actions posed a serious threat to the country’s national security and economic interests.

According to the US Department of State, sanctions are imposed on individuals and entities involved in cyberattacks, sabotage, unauthorized access to information systems, cyber espionage, and the theft of trade secrets.

Earlier, the US Department of State announced visa restrictions against individuals in Uzbekistan who knowingly facilitated illegal immigration to the United States. The measures targeted executives and senior officials of two visa services companies based in Uzbekistan that were found to have provided travel services primarily aimed at enabling unlawful entry into the United States.