Iranian hacker Amir Barati, a dual Turkish and Iranian citizen, has been arrested in Montenegro and a court has approved his extradition to the United States. Barati is accused of participating in a large-scale hacking campaign targeting over 150 universities in the U.S., allegedly stealing 31 terabytes of data and causing an estimated $3.4 billion in damages. The operation is believed to have been conducted on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as first reported by Security Affairs.
The FBI issued a warrant for Barati's arrest, leading to his apprehension in Kotor, Montenegro. U.S. prosecutors allege that Barati, linked to the Mabna network, was actively involved in spearphishing campaigns, target reconnaissance, and the distribution of stolen credentials between 2013 and 2017. The stolen data, including academic journals, theses, and dissertations, was reportedly sent to the Iranian government and sold through online platforms. The campaign compromised approximately 8,000 professor email accounts at 144 American universities and 42 U.S. companies, along with numerous international institutions. Affected universities incurred an estimated $20 million in costs for investigation and damage repair. Barati faces multiple charges including conspiracy to commit computer fraud, wire fraud, and identity theft.
Source: Security Affairs
