Iranian Hackers Charged in Multi-Year Cyber Attack Campaign
A 17-person Iranian hacking crew has been charged by US authorities for their involvement in a multi-year campaign of cyber attacks. The attacks targeted hundreds of US and international universities, dozens of companies, and at least five state and federal government agencies.
The hackers allegedly worked on behalf of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other Iranian clients through the Mabna Institute, which was founded in 2013 by Gholamreza Rafatnejad and Ehsan Mohammadi. The group stole research and intellectual property worth billions of dollars, with US institutions spending $3.4 billion to acquire the material.
The hackers also extorted HBO for approximately $6 million worth of Bitcoin after stealing proprietary data. Five defendants were directly involved in the hack: Saeid Houshyar, Manouchehr Hashemloo, Keyvan Fayaz, Saber Shahbazi Ballojeh, and Arman Kahzadian.
The State Department's Rewards for Justice program is offering up to $10 million for information on the location of the defendants. US Attorney Jamie McDonald stated that 'today's charges reveal the broader network allegedly behind a sweeping, state-sponsored campaign to steal research and intellectual property.'