17 Iranians Charged in Cyber Theft Campaign

4 weeks ago 0

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has indicted 17 Iranian nationals for their involvement in a significant cyber theft campaign. This operation targeted American universities and government agencies. Since 2013, these hackers have infiltrated networks to steal intellectual property.

Officials stress that time passage will not hinder the U.S. from pursuing foreign cybercriminals.

ATF Investigates Cybersecurity Incident

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced a cybersecurity breach in a standalone system. Classified as a “major incident” by senior DOJ officials, this matter aligns with federal guidelines.

The Qilin ransomware group claimed responsibility, citing ATF as a victim. However, they lack public evidence to support this. ATF has not confirmed Qilin’s involvement. They state this system operates independently from its main network, affecting neither the broader network nor other ATF systems.

Upon discovering the breach, ATF isolated the system and began forensic investigations. They are collaborating with the DOJ to determine the breach details.

Mystery Remains Around Breach

ATF has not disclosed information about the affected system’s specifics, discovery timing, or data access details.

Cybernews reported Qilin’s claim, yet without tangible evidence. GalaxyWarden, a breach-monitoring service, noted ATF’s appearance on Qilin’s leak site but has not validated the claims.

Fox News Digital contacted ATF and the DOJ for more insights, including the identity of the breached entity, insights on data access, and the rationale for labeling the event as a “major incident.” ATF assured it followed required notifications post-incident classification.