March 2, 2024 at 12:18AM
The U.S. Department of Justice unsealed an indictment against an Iranian national, Alireza Shafie Nasab, for his alleged involvement in a cyber campaign targeting U.S. entities. The campaign involved spear-phishing and hacking techniques, leading to more than 200,000 victim devices being infected. Nasab faces significant prison time if convicted and is being pursued by the U.S. State Department, offering a $10 million reward for information leading to his identification or location. Nasab’s front company, Mahak Rayan Afraz, has ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. In related news, German law enforcement has taken down the illicit trading platform Crimemarket and arrested six individuals involved in criminal activities.
Key Takeaways from the Meeting Notes:
1. An Iranian national, Alireza Shafie Nasab, has been indicted for his alleged involvement in a cyber-enabled campaign targeting U.S. governmental and private entities.
2. The campaign involved targeting more than a dozen entities, including the U.S. Departments of the Treasury and State, defense contractors, and companies based in New York.
3. Nasab is accused of using spear-phishing and hacking techniques to infect over 200,000 devices containing sensitive or classified defense information.
4. Nasab faces multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit computer fraud and wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft, with a possible prison sentence of up to 47 years.
5. The U.S. State Department has announced monetary rewards for information leading to the identification or location of Nasab.
6. Nasab is believed to have worked for a company named Mahak Rayan Afraz with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
7. The cyber campaign involved sophisticated social engineering tactics, such as masquerading as other people and posing as an aerobics instructor on Facebook to infect the machine of an employee of an aerospace defense contractor with malware.
Additionally, the meeting notes highlighted the takedown of a German-speaking illicit trading platform called Crimemarket, with several arrests made in connection with the operation.
Overall, the meeting notes provide critical information about the cybercrime activities and law enforcement operations, emphasizing the ongoing challenges posed by cyber threats and the regulatory response to such criminal activities.