The US has charged and sanctioned four Iranian nationals for their alleged roles in various attacks on US companies and government departments, all of whom are claimed to have worked for fake companies linked to Iran's military.
All four and other co-conspirators are alleged to have been part of an organized effort to carry out multiple computer intrusions between at least 2016 and 2021. More than a dozen US companies were targeted, as well as the US State and Treasury departments., private sector attacks were mainly geared toward gaining access to accounts at US defense contractors, which have the necessary clearances to access classified information.thrown in.
When they weren't lobbing malware through emails, they impersonated others – mainly women, the Justice Department said – to gain their trust and install malware that would compromise machines.those emails dropped. He's also alleged to have worked for the Electronic Warfare and Cyber Defense arm of the IRGC between 2014 and 2020.
He's facing a maximum prison stint of 35 years, while Kazemifar, Salmani, and Nasab face 27 years each – if they're ever caught, that is.