According to an indictment published by the United States Department of Justice, 17 hackers accused of being linked to the Iranian Mabna Institute were prosecuted. According to the prosecution, this group has long launched cyberattacks against universities, businesses and government institutions, including an invasion of HBO in 2017, and has attempted to obtain about $6 million bitcoin from the media company.
Six people are directly involved in the HBO invasion.
According to the prosecution, 6 of the 17 persons indicted were directly involved in the HBO hacking. According to the United States Department of Justice, the persons involved had stolen HBO-specific data and requested extortion in the form of bitcoin.
According to the United States side, the group has links with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran and other Iranian government and university clients, and has long engaged in “hidden hacker” activities. The case materials show that they are targeted globally and cover universities, research institutions, businesses and government departments.
Prosecution claims to have stolen over 31TB data.
According to the United States Department of Justice, this group stole at least 31.5 TB academic data and intellectual property from global institutions of higher education and research. Stolen content included research materials, academic journals, papers, electronic books, etc.
According to the prosecution, hackers have also targeted more than 100,000 professor ' s accounts worldwide and invaded about 8000 accounts of 144 universities in the United States and 178 overseas. Common methods include fork fishing and misappropriation of vouchers.
- Persons indicted: 17
- HBO extortion: about $6 million bitcoin
- Size of stolen data: at least 31.5 TB
U.S.S. synchronized to increase pressure on Iranian encryption networks
At the time the case was published, relations between the United States and Iran remained tense. In recent months, the United States has continued to intensify its efforts against Iran's related encryption networks on the grounds that they are used to transfer funds and circumvent sanctions.
In June this year, the United States Department of the Treasury sanctioned four Iranian encryption exchanges, including Nobitex, for assisting in terrorist financing and circumventing sanctions. In July, the Ministry of Finance frozen four wallets linked to the Central Bank of Iran and the armed forces, involving more than $131 million. In August, the United States sanctioned two additional encrypted exchanges, claiming that they had laundered funds by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other sanctioned entities.
Additional information:The United States Department of State has indicated that a maximum of $10 million will be awarded for the whereabouts of the five accused.