17 hrs ago
US Lawmakers Seek Blacklist of Three Indian IT Firms
Three US lawmakers want the government to restrict three Indian companies.
They say the companies may have helped people hire hackers to spy on others.
The alleged targets included Americans, businesses, lawyers and other organizations.
The lawmakers asked the US Commerce Department to place the companies on a special list.
Companies on that list may have trouble obtaining US software and online technology services.
Reports from Reuters and other organizations have connected the firms to hacking-for-hire activity.
Some reports also described alleged targeting connected to disputes involving Qatar, although the article presents this as reported evidence rather than a final government finding.
The companies’ executives deny doing anything wrong.
The Commerce Department still has to consider the request.
Senators Ron Wyden and Sheldon Whitehouse and Representative Pat Harrigan asked the Commerce Department to add BellTroX, CyberRoot and Sunkissed Organic Farms to the Entity List.
The lawmakers accused the firms of links to hack-for-hire operations and more than 15 years of targeted espionage.
Alleged targets included US citizens, businesses, private equity firms, pharmaceutical companies and more than 1,000 attorneys.
Entity List placement could restrict the companies’ access to US software, cloud infrastructure and cybersecurity tools.
Executives at all three companies denied wrongdoing, while media and technology investigations linked them to alleged cyberattacks.
- Who
- Democratic Senators Ron Wyden and Sheldon Whitehouse and Republican Representative Pat Harrigan sought action against BellTroX, CyberRoot and Sunkissed Organic Farms Pvt Ltd.
- What
- The lawmakers asked the US Commerce Department to add the three firms and their subsidiaries to the Entity List over alleged hacking and espionage.
- Where
- The request concerns US restrictions on Indian companies and alleged targeting of people and organizations in the United States and elsewhere.
- When
- The request was reported on September 11, 2026; the alleged activity was described as spanning more than 15 years.
- Why
- The lawmakers allege that the firms served as fronts for hack-for-hire operations and targeted individuals and organizations through espionage.
Lawmakers and investigators
Companies and executives
Alleged hacking-for-hire activity
Lawmakers and investigators
The lawmakers and previous investigations by Reuters, The New Yorker, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, Meta and Google linked the firms to cybermercenary or hack-for-hire operations.
Companies and executives
Executives at BellTroX, CyberRoot and Sunkissed Organic Farms denied wrongdoing and rejected the allegations.
Proposed Entity List designation
Lawmakers and investigators
The lawmakers argued that adding the firms to the Entity List would be an appropriate response to the alleged espionage and would restrict their access to US technology.
Companies and executives
The articles do not report a detailed public response from the companies specifically addressing the proposed Entity List designation.
Alleged foreign-backed targeting
Lawmakers and investigators
The article’s quick-answer section says there is evidence the groups operated at the behest of the Qatari government, allegedly targeting opponents of Qatar’s World Cup bid and the family of a former Republican House intelligence committee chairman.
Companies and executives
The companies’ executives denied wrongdoing; the articles do not report a confirmed government finding establishing responsibility for those alleged activities.
Key facts
- Companies named
- BellTroX, CyberRoot and Sunkissed Organic Farms Pvt Ltd
- Former company name
- Sunkissed Organic Farms Pvt Ltd was formerly known as Appin Technology Pvt Ltd
- Requested action
- Add the firms and their subsidiaries to the US Commerce Department’s Entity List
- Potential restrictions
- Limits on access to US-origin software, cloud infrastructure and cybersecurity tools
- Alleged activity
- Hack-for-hire operations and more than 15 years of targeted espionage
- Reported targets
- US citizens, businesses, private equity firms, pharmaceutical companies and more than 1,000 attorneys
- Company response
- Executives at all three firms denied wrongdoing and rejected the allegations
Sources
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