Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
The Biden administration announced charges against three Iranian hackers with suspected ties to an Iranian government attack group called “Charming Kitten” for ransomware and hacking operations, according to U.S. officials.
The hackers—which are affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to officials at the Department of Treasury—have gone after hundreds of organizations in the United States, the U.K., Israel, Iran, and elsewhere, including a shelter for victims of domestic violence in Pennsylvania, an electric utility company based in Indiana, and a public housing entity, according to court documents.
The hacking group has been running ransomware operations since at least 2020 by breaking into organizations around the globe, stealing data, and threatening victims they would publish stolen information unless paid hundreds of thousands of dollars. The hacking group, which is also known as “APT 35,” has historically conducted espionage operations for the Iranian government, and targeted Middle Eastern government, diplomatic, and military personnel, as well as journalists, and energy and telecommunications entities.