New york: A 14-count superseding indictment was unsealed today charging 17 members of the Mabna Institute, an Iran-based company, for conducting a coordinated campaign of cyber intrusions into systems belonging to 144 U.S.-based universities, 178 foreign universities, and various companies and organizations. The Mabna Institute was responsible for stealing over 31 terabytes of academic data and intellectual property on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and other Iranian entities. According to United States Department of Justice, the indictment reveals that the defendants hacked into global research institutions to steal valuable information. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg stated that the defendants carried out these cyber intrusions at the behest of entities including the IRGC. The indictment highlights the U.S. National Security Division's commitment to safeguarding American data and pursuing justice against cybercriminals. U.S. Attorney Jamie McDona ld for the Southern District of New York emphasized the significance of the charges, which identify a broader network behind the state-sponsored campaign. The charges underscore the importance of protecting American innovation from foreign cyber operations that threaten national security and economic strength. The FBI's Cyber Division Assistant Director Brett Leatherman noted the elaborate hacking-for-hire operation conducted by the defendants, which targeted American and allied institutions. He stressed that the FBI, in collaboration with law enforcement and private sector partners, remains steadfast in its mission to bring cyber adversaries to justice. Background information provided in the indictment outlines the Mabna Institute's founding in 2013 by Gholamreza Rafatnejad and Ehsan Mohammadi. The institute, based in Tehran, employed hackers to infiltrate academic systems and exfiltrate data for Iranian governmental and private clients, including the IRGC. The defendants also conducted spearphishing campa igns to compromise university systems globally. The U.S. Department of State's Rewards for Justice program is offering up to $10 million for information leading to the location of key defendants involved in these cyber activities. The program seeks details on individuals engaging in malicious cyber activities under foreign government directives. The Mabna Institute targeted over 100,000 professor accounts worldwide, successfully compromising approximately 8,000 accounts. The campaign, which lasted from 2013 to 2017, resulted in the theft of vast amounts of academic data and intellectual property. The stolen data was sold through websites Megapaper.ir and Gigapaper.ir, benefiting Iran-based institutions. Beyond universities, the defendants targeted federal and state government agencies, U.S. private sector companies, and international organizations. They also attempted to extort HBO for $6 million worth of Bitcoin. The indictment specifies ongoing efforts by the Mabna Institute to infiltrate American and in ternational institutions, causing an estimated $20 million in damages. The Department of Justice acknowledges the crucial investigative work of the FBI, the UK's National Crime Agency, and other supporting agencies. The case is prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas W. Chiuchiolo, Connie L. Dang, and Adam Sowlati, with assistance from the National Security Division. The indictment serves as an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.