US Charges 17 Iranians in Massive Cyber Theft Campaign

The U.S. Department of Justice unsealed a 14-count indictment charging 17 Iranian nationals for allegedly conducting a years-long coordinated campaign of cyber attacks to steal data from U.S. organizations.

The group allegedly stole more than 31 terabytes of academic data and intellectual property valued at approximately $3.4 billion. Many of the attacks were conducted on behalf of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and other Iranian government clients. The campaign also compromised employee email accounts from at least five U.S. federal and state government agencies.

The FBI described the attacks as a serious threat to national security. The Department of Justice announced a $10 million reward for information leading to the location of five of the alleged hackers-for-hire. U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald stated that cyber operations have become a central instrument of national power with dangerous impacts on U.S. security and the economy. This superseding indictment expands on a 2018 indictment that charged nine of the same individuals.