U.S. Charges 17 Iranians in Massive University and Government Cyberattack Case

The U.S. Department of Justice announced yesterday (Tuesday) an expansion of its case against an Iranian cyber network, filing an expanded indictment against 17 Iranian citizens linked to the Mabna Institute. According to the indictment, the Iranian company carried out cyberattacks for years on behalf of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and other entities, in activity that dates back at least to 2013.

At the center of the case is a long list of intrusions into academic institutions around the world. According to the indictment, members of the network managed to hack approximately 8,000 faculty accounts at 144 universities in the United States and 178 universities in other countries. More than 31 terabytes of research and intellectual property were stolen in the operation.

But the activity attributed to the network was not limited to institutions of higher education. According to the indictment, its members also breached infrastructure belonging to private companies and government entities. One of the 17 defendants is additionally accused of attempting to extort $6 million in Bitcoin from content giant HBO.

Alongside the legal proceedings, U.S. authorities are trying to locate some of the defendants. The United States is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to their location.

The Justice Department’s announcement comes amid additional recent reports of Iranian cyber activity targeting sites in the United States. Earlier this month, The New York Times reported that Iran was behind a cyberattack that affected water systems in at least seven U.S. states. Minnesota was the first state to report a malfunction in its water systems. Reports later emerged of damage to systems in additional states, including Michigan.