DOJ Unseals Indictment of Iranian Hackers Targeting U.S. Universities and Agencies

The U.S. Department of Justice announced on a Tuesday that a superseding 14-count indictment charges 17 individuals affiliated with the Iran-based Mabna Institute for a multi-year cyber-intrusion campaign. Prosecutors allege the defendants, acting on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), infiltrated computer systems at U.S. universities, private-sector companies, federal and state agencies, and non-governmental organizations. The indictment expands on a 2018 case and adds eight newly named defendants.

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The Mabna Institute, founded in 2013, is described by the Justice Department as a private contractor that facilitates Iranian access to foreign academic and research networks. Earlier indictments in 2018 targeted nine of the same individuals for similar offenses. The current charges reflect a broader investigation that links the group’s activities to Iran’s state-sponsored cyber-espionage efforts, including a cyber-command within the IRGC that conducts both military and commercial intelligence operations.

JURIST

• Targets: 144 U.S. universities, 178 foreign universities, at least 42 U.S. private-sector companies, at least 11 foreign companies, five U.S. federal or state agencies, and two NGOs.

JURIST

• Compromised Accounts: More than 100,000 professor accounts worldwide; approximately 8,000 of those were successfully accessed.

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• Data Stolen: Over 31 terabytes of academic research, scholarly papers, dissertations, e-books, and other intellectual property.

U.S. Department of Justice indicts 17 members of Iran-based hacking group for stealing 31 terabytes from universities worldwide — BigGo Finance

• Potential Penalties: Each of the 14 counts carries a maximum sentence of five to 20 years in prison, though not every count applies to every defendant.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg emphasized that the indictment demonstrates the U.S.

U.S.

U.S. Department of Justice indicts 17 members of Iran-based hacking group for stealing 31 terabytes from universities worldwide — BigGo Finance

The State Department’s Rewards for Justice program announced a bounty of up to $10 million for information leading to the capture of five of the defendants, including Saber Shahbaziz Ballojeh, Keyvan Fayaz, Mojtaba Galekuhi, Arman Kahzadian, and Behzad Mesri.

Law enforcement agencies continue to pursue the indicted individuals, many of whom remain at large. The reward offer remains open, and the Justice Department indicated that additional charges could be filed if further evidence emerges from ongoing investigations into related cyber-intrusions.

• “The superseding indictment alleges that, at the behest of entities including the IRGC, these defendants hacked into universities and other research institutions worldwide, including the United States, stealing at least 31 terabytes of information and intellectual property of untold value,” — John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security

• “More than eight years after making the original indictment public, these charges make clear that the passage of time will not deter us from identifying and pursuing those who target the United States from abroad,” — Jamie McDonald, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York