Europe Imposes Sanctions on Chinese and Iranian Companies for Cyber Warfare

Europe Sanctions Chinese and Iranian Companies for Cyberattacks

The Council of the European Union has imposed sanctions on three Chinese and Iranian companies as well as two individuals for engaging in cyberattacks targeting various devices and critical infrastructure.

Among the sanctioned entities is Integrity Technology Group, a Chinese company that provided significant “technical and material support” between 2022 and 2023, resulting in the hacking of over 65,000 devices across six EU countries.

Another Chinese entity, Anxun Information Technology, was also targeted for offering hacking services aimed at compromising “critical infrastructure and critical functions” in both member states and other countries.

The Council also identified two individuals, the co-founders of Anxun Information Technology, as key figures involved in orchestrating cyberattacks against EU member states.

Furthermore, the sanctioned Iranian company, Emennet Pasargad, has been linked to multiple influence campaigns and the compromise of an SMS service in Sweden.

Emennet Pasargad’s involvement in spreading misinformation during the 2024 Paris Olympics by hijacking advertising billboards is also noted. Additionally, the company, under the alias Holy Souls, was reported by Microsoft to have offered to sell personal information of 230,000 subscribers of the French magazine Charlie Hebdo in early January 2023.

Emennet Pasargad is believed to have provided cybersecurity services to the Iranian government and has a history of engaging in influence campaigns. In November 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice offered a $10 million reward for two Iranian nationals affiliated with the company.

The European Council outlined that individuals listed under the sanctions are subjected to asset freezes, with EU citizens and companies prohibited from providing funds or resources to them. Additionally, a travel ban is imposed on these individuals, preventing them from entering or transiting through EU territories.

Integrity Technology Group was linked by the FBI in 2024 to the ‘Raptor Train’ botnet, which is believed to be operated by the Chinese state-sponsored threat actor ‘Flax Typhoon.’

In January 2025, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Integrity Technology Group for its involvement in cyberattacks related to the Raptor Train, which infected 260,000 devices.

Similarly, in March 2025, the U.S. Justice Department imposed sanctions on Anxun Information Technology (also known as i-Soon) for offering hacker-for-hire services and conducting cyberattacks since at least 2011.

Moreover, i-Soon experienced a data breach in mid-February 2024, exposing the company’s operations as a China-affiliated hacking contractor and revealing its offensive toolkit.

The U.S. authorities also announced rewards of up to $10 million for information leading to the location of 10 executives and technical staff members of Anxun Information Technology.

The European Union has been enforcing cyber sanctions since 2019, targeting 19 individuals and seven entities responsible for malicious cyber activities.

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