The U.S. Department of Justice has indicted 17 members of Iran’s "Mabna Institute" for stealing over 31 terabytes of academic research, data, and intellectual property—acting under the direct orders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Scope of Targeting:
The coordinated attacks compromised thousands of academic and institutional accounts across 322 universities worldwide—including 144 in the U.S.—as well as corporations, government agencies, and international organizations.
Objectives and Methods:
The accused employed large-scale phishing campaigns to steal research for resale on local platforms and extorted prominent institutions by demanding ransom payments.
International Pursuit:
The U.S. "Rewards for Justice" program has offered a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the key suspects, emphasizing that national security crimes are not subject to statutes of limitations.
This article was written with the assistance of artificial intelligence.
