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U.S. indicts 17 Iranians in 31TB cyber theft

8/20/2026

42 7 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald (Southern District of New York) indicted 17 Iranians for a state-sponsored cyber-theft campaign.
The 14-count superseding indictment alleges infiltration of 144 U.S. and 178 foreign universities, stealing over 31 TB of data.
U.S. universities incurred over $3.4 billion to replace the stolen research and data.
The State Department’s Rewards for Justice program offers up to $10 million for information on five defendants.

History

Historical Context

Operation Olympic Games, a joint U.S. NSA and Israel’s Unit 8200 effort, deployed the Stuxnet worm in 2010 to sabotage Iran’s Natanz enrichment plant, temporarily disabling roughly 1,000 of the 5,000 centrifuges. The 2024 indictment of 17 Iranians for a massive cyber-theft campaign echoes that nation-state model, prompting expanded U.S. bounty programs and tighter university network defenses.

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Story summary

U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald (Southern District of New York) indicted 17 Iranians for a state-sponsored cyber-theft campaign.
The 14-count superseding indictment alleges infiltration of 144 U.S. and 178 foreign universities, stealing over 31 TB of data.
U.S. universities incurred over $3.4 billion to replace the stolen research and data.
The State Department’s Rewards for Justice program offers up to $10 million for information on five defendants.

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