Iranian Hackers Charged in $6 Million Bitcoin Extortion Campaign

US prosecutors have charged 17 alleged members of Iran-based Mabna Institute in a years-long hacking campaign that included an attempt to extort HBO for $6 million in Bitcoin.

The group, which allegedly carried out hacks for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other Iranian government and university clients, targeted hundreds of universities, companies, government agencies, and other organizations worldwide.

Five defendants were directly involved in the 2017 HBO hack, stealing proprietary data and attempting to extort the company. The group also stole at least 31.5 terabytes of academic data and intellectual property.