OFAC sanctions First VPN Service and two individuals
Regulatory/Legal Action
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OFAC sanctioned First VPN Service (1VPNS), Dmytro Rashevskyi, and Yegeniy Vladimirovich Silayev for enabling ransomware attacks and helping malicious software evade detection. The action targets a VPN provider and a cryptor seller tied to activity that hid attack origins, masked malware as legitimate software, and supported attacks on U.S. businesses, financial services firms, hospitals, and municipal governments. Officials linked the ecosystem to billions of dollars in losses to U.S. organizations and critical infrastructure providers, and said the underlying 1VPNS infrastructure was dismantled in May 2026 by European and North American authorities.
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1VPNS takedown in Operation Saffron
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H score26
First: 14.07.2026 12:40
Last: 14.07.2026 12:40
Sources 1
How related:
The sanctions come after European law enforcement took down 1VPNS's website and infrastructure in May with support from the FBI's Boston Field Office, as part of a joint action dubbed "Operation Saffron" led by French and Dutch authorities.
About this happening:
French and Dutch authorities **took down 1VPNS**, **seized 33 servers**, and **arrested its administrator** in **Operation Saffron**, disrupting a VPN service used by **ransomware...
1VPNS takedown in Operation Saffron
Law EnforcementHow related: The sanctions come after European law enforcement took down 1VPNS's website and infrastructure in May with support from the FBI's Boston Field Office, as part of a joint action dubbed "Operation Saffron" led by French and Dutch authorities.
About this happening: French and Dutch authorities **took down 1VPNS**, **seized 33 servers**, and **arrested its administrator** in **Operation Saffron**, disrupting a VPN service used by **ransomware...
Joint operation dismantles First VPN Service (1VPNS)
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First: 14.07.2026 11:02
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Sources 1
How related:
First VPN was dismantled in May 2026 as part of a joint law enforcement operation by European and North American authorities for assisting criminal actors to obscure the origins of ransomware attacks, data theft, scanning, and denial-of-service attacks.
About this happening:
European and North American authorities **dismantled** **First VPN Service (1VPNS)** in a **ransomware**-linked takedown, removing infrastructure used to hide attack origins and o...
Joint operation dismantles First VPN Service (1VPNS)
Law EnforcementHow related: First VPN was dismantled in May 2026 as part of a joint law enforcement operation by European and North American authorities for assisting criminal actors to obscure the origins of ransomware attacks, data theft, scanning, and denial-of-service attacks.
About this happening: European and North American authorities **dismantled** **First VPN Service (1VPNS)** in a **ransomware**-linked takedown, removing infrastructure used to hide attack origins and o...
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Timeline
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14.07.2026 11:02 3 articles · 3h ago
OFAC sanctions First VPN Service and two individuals
Legal Policy Action UpdateThe U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated First VPN Service (1VPNS), its Ukrainian administrator Dmytro Rashevskyi, and Belarusian national Yegeniy Vladimirovich Silayev for enabling ransomware actors and helping conceal malware as safe programs. Treasury said ransomware groups used the VPN infrastructure to hide attack origins, manage exfiltrated data, and target U.S. businesses, financial services companies, hospitals, and municipal governments; officials also said First VPN was dismantled in May 2026 by European and North American authorities.
Show sources
- U.S. Sanctions First VPN Service and Malware Cryptor Seller Over Ransomware Support — thehackernews.com — 14.07.2026 11:02
- U.S. Sanctions First VPN Service and Malware Cryptor Seller Over Ransomware Support — thehackernews.com — 14.07.2026 11:02
- US sanctions VPN, malware providers for enabling ransomware attacks — www.bleepingcomputer.com — 14.07.2026 12:40