US Charges 17 Iranians in Cyberattacks Targeting Global Universities and Agencies

The United States has indicted 17 Iranian nationals for conducting extensive cyberattacks on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iranian regime, according to announcements from the US Attorney General and the FBI on Tuesday. The indictment includes 14 charges against members of the Iranian-based Mabna Institute, which has orchestrated cyber operations since 2013 to access scientific resources from non-Iranian universities and research organizations.

The accused were involved in hacking over 100,000 academic accounts worldwide, compromising approximately 8,000 email inboxes of senior officials at 144 US universities and 178 institutions abroad, including in Israel. They also targeted at least five US federal agencies. The group used fake accounts to infiltrate senior academic profiles, stealing around 31.5 terabytes of academic papers, research, and other documents. This stolen data was sold through two websites to Iranian entities such as academic and research institutions.

Additionally, some defendants participated in breaching HBO's computer systems, subsequently attempting to extort about $6 million in Bitcoin. US universities reportedly spent over $3.4 billion to acquire and access the sensitive data targeted by these cyberattacks.

US Attorney General emphasized that geographic boundaries will not deter the US from protecting its national security against foreign cyber threats. The charges reveal a broad state-sponsored campaign aimed at stealing intellectual property and research from universities, businesses, and government institutions. The Assistant Attorney General for National Security highlighted that the defendants acted at the behest of the Revolutionary Guards to steal critical intellectual property and information globally, including in the US.