WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th September, 2020) The United States charged two Iranian nationals with cyber theft from computer systems in the United States, Europe and the Mideast in a multiyear scheme that was breathtaking in scope, the Justice department announced in a press release.
The release identified the hackers as Hooman Heidarian and Mehdi Farhadi, both fugitives beyond the reach of the US authorities.
The hackers "stole hundreds of terabytes of data which typically included confidential communications pertaining to national security, foreign policy intelligence, non-military nuclear information, aerospace data, human rights activist information, personally identifiable information, and intellectual property, including unpublished scientific research," the release said on Wednesday.
In some instances, the hackers worked for the Iranian government and in other cases they sold stolen information on the black market for financial gain. They also sought to intimidate dissidents and at times simply resorted to sabotaging penetrated networks.
The release also said the hackers began stealing data in 2013, indicating that the theft may have continued for years. In the process, hackers maintained unauthorized access to targeted computer networks for extended periods of time.
The hackers targeted several US and foreign universities, a Washington, DC think tank, a defense contractor, an aerospace company, non-profit groups and foreign governments, the release added.
