The U.S. Department of Justice has unveiled charges against four Iranian nationals for their roles in a sophisticated multi-year cyber campaign targeting key U.S. institutions and companies. The indictment names Hossein Harooni, Reza Kazemifar, Komeil Baradaran Salmani, and Alireza Shafie Nasab as key operatives in a cyber-enabled scheme to infiltrate the U.S. government and private sector. The defendants remain at large.
This group’s activities have notably included attempts to compromise the computer systems of the U.S. Departments of Treasury and State, as well as defense contractors and private firms in New York. Despite these charges, all four defendants remain at large. The U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice program has offered up to $10 million for information leading to the location or identification of the individuals involved (Rewards for Justice website). The accused remain at large.
Adding to the pressure, the U.S. Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on the indicted individuals, marking them as significant malicious cyber actors.
The FBI Director Christopher Wray pointed out the habitual nature of dangerous cyber activities tracing back to Iran. This includes supporting lethal plots and targeting critical U.S. infrastructure, underscoring the complex challenge of countering such threats.
The charges detail a relentless effort by these individuals to engage in spearphishing attacks and social engineering to compromise U.S. entities. This includes the misuse of an individual’s identity to facilitate their operations and manage their infrastructure covertly.
The indictment brings multiple serious charges against the defendants, including conspiracy to commit computer fraud and wire fraud, with potential penalties ranging up to 20 years for some charges. The case, investigated by the FBI Cyber Division, highlights the persistent and pervasive nature of cyber threats and the U.S. government’s committed response to counter and deter such illegal activities on the digital front.
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