The U.S. Treasury imposes sanctions on a Russian government-funded research institution for its role in a cyberattack on a refinery in the Middle East, according to an article from Chemistry World. The Treasury Department says the Central Scientific Research Institute of Chemistry and Mechanics (CNIIHM) is “connected to the destructive Triton malware” that was used to attack a petrochemical facility in Saudi Arabia in August 2017.
The Triton malware interfered with the refinery’s critical safety mechanisms, according to the article; however the facility was able to default to a failsafe shutdown. The CNIIHM reportedly built customized tools that enabled the attack. The sanction prohibits anyone in the U.S. from doing business with the research institute.
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