United States Expands Pursuit of Iranian Piracy Network

U.S. authorities have expanded their prosecution of an Iranian hacking network, bringing the total number of Iranians charged in connection with a campaign that targeted universities, companies, and government agencies inside and outside the United States to 17.

The Department of Justice unveiled an indictment against eight additional individuals, after initially charging nine of the 17 suspects in 2018.

The campaign, primarily carried out between 2013 and 2017, aimed primarily at stealing scientific data and intellectual property.

They are also believed to have stolen approximately 31.5 terabytes of data, including scientific articles, university theses, and other research works.

On Tuesday, Jimmy McDonough, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said, “More than eight years after the original indictment was announced, these charges clearly confirm that the passage of time will not deter us from pursuing those who target the United States from abroad.”

In 2018, the U.S. Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on the nine individuals initially charged, as well as on a tenth suspect accused of involvement in an extortion attempt against HBO by stealing an unaired episode script from the series “Game of Thrones.”