Mohammad SHAKERI ASHTIJEH

Iran

1997-11-28

Qom, Qom Province, Iran

Male

Iran

0371588723, National ID No.; B50759562, Passport

From September 2021 through the present, this group primarily gained unauthorized access to victim networks by exploiting Microsoft Exchange and related ProxyShell vulnerabilities, including an incident in October 2021 when they compromised the network of an electric utility company serving a rural area of the United States, and maliciously used BitLocker to disrupt operations. Additional employees and associates of Najee Technology and/or Afkar System include: Ali Agha-Ahmadi (Ali Ahmadi); Mohammad Agha Ahmadi (Mohammad Ahmadi); Mo’in Mahdavi (Mahdavi); Aliakbar Rashidi-Barjini (Rashidi); Amir Hossein Nikaeen Ravari (Nikaeen); Mostafa Haji Hosseini (Mostafa); Mojtaba Haji Hosseini (Mojtaba); and, Mohammad Shakeri-Ashtijeh (Shakeri). The IRGC-affiliated employees—Mansour, Ali Ahmadi, Mohammad Ahmadi, Mahdavi, Rashidi, Khatibi, Nikaeen, Mostafa, Mojtaba, and Shakeri— of the IRGC-affiliated companies, Najee Technology and Afkar System, are responsible for or complicit in, or have engaged in, directly or indirectly, global targeting of various networks, including critical infrastructure, by exploiting well-known vulnerabilities to gain initial access in furtherance of malicious activities, including ransom operations. Mansour, Ali Ahmadi, Mohammad Ahmadi, Mahdavi, Rashidi, Khatibi, Nikaeen, Mostafa, Mojtaba, and Shakeri were designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13694, as amended, for being responsible for or complicit in, or having engaged in, directly or indirectly, a cyber-enabled activity identified pursuant to E.O. 13694, as amended.

US

Subject to Secondary Sanctions

https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0948

2022-09-14

US

Executive Order 13694 Blocking the Property of Certain Persons Engaging in Significant Malicious Cyber-Enabled Activities; Executive Order 13757 Taking Additional Steps to Address the National Emergency With Respect to Significant Malicious Cyber-Enabled Activities

OFAC-horizontal

Cyber-attacks

Blocking Property, Suspending Entry

• https://ofac.treasury.gov/faqs/topic/1546

On December 31, 2015, OFAC issued the Cyber-Related Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 578 (80 FR 81752, December 31, 2015) (the “Regulations”) to implement Executive Order (E.O.) 13694 of April 1, 2015, “Blocking the Property of Certain Persons Engaging in Significant Malicious Cyber-Enabled Activities” (80 FR 18077, April 2, 2015), pursuant to authorities delegated to the Secretary of the Treasury in E.O. 13694. The Regulations were initially issued in abbreviated form for the purpose of providing immediate guidance to the public. OFAC is revising the Regulations to further implement E.O. 13694, as amended by E.O. 13757 of December 28, 2016, “Taking Additional Steps to Address the National Emergency With Respect to Significant Malicious Cyber-Enabled Activities” (82 FR 1, January 3, 2017), as well as certain provisions of title II of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (Pub. L. 115–44, 131 Stat. 886 (codified in scattered sections of 22 U.S.C.)) (CAATSA). OFAC is amending and reissuing the Regulations as a more comprehensive set of regulations that includes additional interpretive guidance and definitions, general licenses, and other regulatory provisions that will provide further guidance to the public. Due to the number of regulatory sections being updated or added, OFAC is reissuing the Regulations in their entirety. E.O. 13694, as Amended by E.O. 13757. On April 1, 2015, the President, invoking the authority of, inter alia, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), issued E.O. 13694. In E.O. 13694, the President determined that the increasing prevalence and severity of malicious cyber-enabled activities originating from, or directed by persons located, in whole or in substantial part, outside the United States constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States, and declared a national emergency to deal with that threat. On December 28, 2016, the President issued E.O. 13757 to take additional steps to deal with the national emergency with respect to significant malicious cyber-enabled activities declared in E.O. 13694. E.O. 13757 added an Annex to E.O. 13694 and amended section 1 of E.O. 13694 by replacing section 1(a) in its entirety.

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