US authorities have charged 17 Iranians over an alleged cybertheft campaign carried out on behalf of the Iranian government. The Justice Department said the group, linked to Tehran-based Mabna Institute, targeted universities, government agencies and companies from around 2013 to 2017. The indictment expands on a 2018 case and adds new defendants.
Prosecutors say the hackers targeted more than 100,000 professors’ email accounts worldwide and successfully accessed about 8,000 accounts at 144 US universities and 178 universities in other countries.
Using stolen login details, the group allegedly stole academic journals, research papers, dissertations and other material. In total, prosecutors say at least 31.5 terabytes of academic data and intellectual property were stolen. Some of the stolen information was also sold through websites serving customers in Iran.
The group also targeted at least five US government agencies, 42 US companies and 11 foreign companies, including HBO.
The 17 defendants face 14 charges, with potential sentences ranging from two to 20 years for individual offenses. Most of the defendants remain outside US custody.
The US State Department is offering up to $10 million for information that could help locate five of the accused.