Crime
DOJ Unseals Updated Charges Against 17 in Alleged Cyber-Theft Campaign Linked to Iran
A superseding indictment adds defendants to a long-running cyber-theft case. The charges are allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent.
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Federal prosecutors have unsealed a superseding indictment charging 17 members of an Iran-based company in an alleged cyber-theft campaign targeting universities, companies and government entities. The charges are allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
What the updated indictment alleges
The Justice Department said August 18 that the indictment concerns alleged intrusions attributed to members of the Mabna Institute, an Iran-based company. According to prosecutors, the updated case adds eight defendants to a matter in which nine people had previously been charged in 2018.
The department alleges that the campaign targeted 144 U.S.-based universities, 178 foreign universities, dozens of private-sector companies, government agencies and nongovernmental organizations. Those figures are allegations in the indictment and have not been tested at trial.
Research data and alleged targets
Prosecutors allege that the group used phishing and other intrusion methods to obtain access to academic data, intellectual property and email accounts. The Justice Department said the alleged activity began no later than 2013 and continued through at least 2017.
The department said the superseding indictment describes more than 31 terabytes of academic data and intellectual property allegedly taken from universities. It also alleges that some compromised access was used to obtain materials from private-sector and government systems.
What happens next
The case is assigned in federal court in Manhattan, according to the Justice Department. The department also said that a State Department rewards program is offering rewards for information about certain defendants.
An indictment starts a criminal case; it is not a conviction. The Justice Department explicitly states that all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Related video
The video below provides general context for this topic. It is not reporting on the specific case described above.
Sources and reporting
U.S. Department of Justice: August 18 charging announcement
ABC News: independent report on the charges