Iran · Bitcoin · DOJ · U.S. · Decrypt
Iranian Hackers Tied to $6 Million Bitcoin Extortion Charged in Large Cyber Campaign
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U.S. prosecutors charged 17 alleged Iranian hackers involved in a years-long cyber campaign that included the 2017 HBO breach and an attempt to extort the company for roughly $6 million in Bitcoin.
Key facts
- U.S. prosecutors charged 17 alleged Iranian hackers involved in a years-long cyber campaign that included the 2017 HBO breach and an attempt to extort the company for roughly $6 million in Bitcoin
- According to the DOJ, the Mabna Institute also targeted more than 100,000 professor accounts worldwide and compromised roughly 8,000 accounts across 144 U.S. universities and 178 foreign
- In July, Treasury froze more than $131 million across four crypto wallets the agency linked to Iran’s central bank and armed forces, including the IRGC
- The State Department is offering rewards of up to $10 million for information leading to the location of five defendants
Summary
U.S. prosecutors charged 17 alleged members of Iran-based Mabna Institute in a years-long hacking campaign. Six defendants were allegedly involved in the HBO hack, which included an attempt to extort the company for roughly $6 million in Bitcoin. The group allegedly stole at least 31.5 terabytes of academic data and intellectual property. On Tuesday, the Justice Department said the defendants were members of Iran-based Mabna Institute, which allegedly carried out hacks for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other Iranian government and university clients.