THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has unsealed an indictment against 17 Iranian nationals for conducting a cyber theft campaign on behalf of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The indictment, consisting of 14 counts, implicates members of the Mabna Institute, which is accused of intruding into the computer systems of 144 U.S. universities, 178 foreign universities, and 42 U.S.-based private companies.
Additionally, the Mabna Institute is alleged to have stolen data from 11 foreign private companies, five U.S. federal and state agencies, and two NGOs. Founded in 2013 by Gholamreza Rafatnejad and Ehsan Mohammadi, the Mabna Institute's activities are described as a coordinated campaign of cyber intrusions.