Iranian Hackers Tied to $6 Million Bitcoin Extortion Charged in Massive Cyber Campaign

In brief

• 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.

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.

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. The group targeted hundreds of universities, companies, government agencies, and other organizations worldwide, prosecutors said.

Behzad Mesri was previously charged with hacking entertainment giant HBO, stealing proprietary data. Prosecutors said five other defendants—Saeid Houshyar, Manouchehr Hashemloo, Keyvan Fayaz, Saber Shahbazi Ballojeh, and Arman Kahzadian—were directly involved in the hack.

“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,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said in a statement.