Three US lawmakers, Ron Wyden, Sheldon Whitehouse, and Pat Harrigan, have formally requested that the US Department of Commerce add three Indian IT firms to the Entity List. The request follows allegations that these companies have been involved in paid hacking services and cyber espionage against US citizens, businesses, and legal representatives for over 15 years.
The companies identified in the letter are BellTroX, CyberRoot, and Sunkissed Organic Farms Pvt. Ltd., the latter of which was formerly known as Appin Technology Pvt. Ltd. If added to the list, these firms would face significant restrictions on accessing US software, cloud infrastructure, and cybersecurity tools. The Department of Commerce has not yet confirmed whether it will proceed with the sanctions.
Reports from major technology companies, including Meta and Google, as well as investigations by Reuters and The New Yorker, have previously linked these firms to targeted hacking operations. According to these findings, the companies allegedly performed services for private investigators and lawyers during commercial disputes, targeting executives, politicians, and military personnel.
Representatives for the named companies have denied any wrongdoing. Meanwhile, Reuters is currently involved in a legal dispute in India with the Appin Training Center Association, which claims the news agency's reporting damaged its reputation. The US Department of Commerce, Sunkissed Organic Farms, and CyberRoot did not provide comments regarding the recent request from the lawmakers.
