March 1, 2024 at 09:57AM
The US Justice Department announced charges against Iranian national Alireza Shafie Nasab, accused of involvement in hacking operations targeting government and private sector organizations. His firm, Mahak Rayan Afraz, linked to cyberespionage, had ties to the IRGC. Nasab, now at large, faces charges carrying up to 20-year prison sentences, with a $10 million reward for information leading to his identification or location.
From the meeting notes, it is clear that the US Justice Department has announced charges against an Iranian national, Alireza Shafie Nasab, for his alleged involvement in hacking operations targeting government and private sector organizations. Nasab is accused of participating in hacking campaigns dating back to at least 2016, with victims including the US State and Treasury Departments, defense contractors, and several companies based in New York. The accused worked at an Iranian IT company, Mahak Rayan Afraz, with ties to the IRGC and a history of involvement in malware development and cyberespionage operations.
The private sector victims, primarily cleared defense contractors, were targeted using spearphishing emails and social engineering to deliver malware. This resulted in the compromise of over 200,000 employee accounts at one victim organization. Nasab allegedly played a role in procuring infrastructure for the hacking operations and has been charged with multiple offenses carrying a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. It is worth noting that Nasab remains at large, and a reward of up to $10 million is being offered for information leading to his identification or location. The meeting notes also mention related incidents of Iranian hackers targeting aviation and defense sectors in the Middle East, as well as indictments of Iranians for election meddling and hacking a power company and women’s shelter in the US.