US charges 9 Iranians in massive hacking scheme

The US Justice Department has charged 9 Iranians in government-sponsored hacking that pilfered sensitive information from hundreds of American universities, private companies and government agencies.

The nine defendants, accused of working at the behest of the Iranian government-tied Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, hacked the computer systems of about 320 universities in the United States and abroad to steal expensive research that was then used or sold for profit, prosecutors said.

The hackers also are accused of breaking into the networks of dozens of government organizations, such as the Department of Labor and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and companies, including law firms and biotechnology corporations.