WANA (Aug 19) – Federal prosecutors in New York announced on Tuesday evening that they had charged 17 Iranian nationals with carrying out a widespread cyber infiltration campaign targeting universities, private corporations, and government organizations across the United States.

 

According to the indictment, prosecutors alleged that hackers working for an Iran-based company had systematically compromised 144 U.S.-based universities, 42 private sector companies, five federal and state government agencies, and at least two non-governmental organizations since 2013.

 

Reports further stated that the accused individuals had stolen more than 31 terabytes of academic data and compromised numerous employee email accounts.

 

Addressing the case in an official statement, Jamie McDonald, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, stated that the charges demonstrated that neither technical sophistication nor geographical borders would deter authorities from protecting national security against those targeting the United States from abroad.

 

He added that the indictments—which encompass eight additional defendants—revealed a broader network allegedly orchestrating a massive campaign to steal critical research from American universities, businesses, and public institutions.