U.S. Prosecutor Issues Indictment Against Iranian '10 Million Dollar' Hacker

On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Justice officially issued an indictment against an Iranian citizen named Alireza Shafiee Nasab for allegedly organizing cyberattacks against U.S. government entities, defense contractors, and two companies based in New York. Alireza Shafiee Nasab is accused of participating in an organized campaign from 2016 to April 2021 to cyber-infiltrate 12 American companies and also attempted to breach the systems of the State Department and the Treasury Department. He worked for a company affiliated with the Iranian government under the guise of providing cybersecurity services and played a key role in designing cyberattacks, employing tactics such as encryption, email phishing, and social engineering. Shafiee Nasab was employed by the company 'Mohak Rayan Afraz' in Iran, which operated on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and according to the U.S. prosecutor's office, he faces charges of conspiracy, committing computer fraud, and identity theft, which could lead to imprisonment. If found guilty in court, conspiracy to commit cyber fraud could result in a maximum of 20 years in prison, internet fraud could also carry a maximum of 20 years, and identity theft could lead to two years in prison. In a statement from the Department of Justice, the U.S. Assistant Attorney General emphasized that these charges reveal the 'corrupt cyber ecosystem of the Islamic Republic' that enables such individuals to conduct cyber activities against other countries. Previously, the U.S. State Department had offered a reward of up to '10 million dollars' under the 'Rewards for Justice' program for information regarding Alireza Shafiee Nasab's malicious cyber activities. The U.S. has set a reward of up to '10 million dollars' for information about Alireza Shafiee Nasab. A security company stated that a 'cyber gang' supported by the Islamic Republic hacked dozens of major Israeli companies. The U.S. claims that hackers affiliated with the Islamic Republic targeted several organizations. An investigation is underway regarding the hacking of the Pennsylvania water authority system; a group supporting the Islamic Republic has claimed responsibility for this attack. Iranian hackers are seeking secrets from U.S. defense, satellite, and pharmaceutical companies.