The United States Department of the Treasury has announced it will impose sanctions on the Czech Republic and Russia-based business Suex OTC for allegedly allowing hackers to access cryptocurrency sent as payment for ransomware attacks. In an advisory update issued on Tuesday, the Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control, or OFAC, added Suex OTC to its list of Specially Designated Nationals for which “assets are blocked and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealing with them.” The government agency listed Suex OTC’s offices in Moscow and Prague, as well as its website and 25 crypto addresses for Ether (ETH), Bitcoin (BTC), and Tether (USDT). “Companies that facilitate ransomware payments to cyber actors on behalf of victims, including financial institutions, cyber insurance firms, and companies involved in digital forensics and incident response, not only encourage future ransomware payment demands but also may risk violating OFAC regulations,” said the federal agency. “The U.S. government strongly discourages all private companies and citizens from paying ransom or extortion demands and recommends focusing on strengthening defensive and resilience measures to prevent and protect against ransomware attacks.”