Pierluigi Paganini
September 17, 2017
US Dept. of Treasury announced sanctions against 7 Iranian nationals and security firms for ‘malicious cyber-activity’ against US entities.
The seven Iranians were employed by ITSecTeam (ITSEC) and Mersad Company (MERSAD), both private companies were working for the Iranian government and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard.
The Iranian nationals were indicted by the US Department of Justice in early 2016, the US authorities charged seven Iranian hackers for attacking computer systems at banks and a dam in New York.
Now the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned a total of 11 Iranian entities and individuals for alleged support of hacking activities as well as two Iran-based networks that were involved in a massive distributed denial-of-service attacks that targeted the US financial institutions in 2012.
“OFAC designated private Iranian computer security company ITSec Team pursuant to E.O. 13694 for causing a significant disruption to the availability of a computer or network of computers. Between approximately December 2011 and December 2012, ITSec Team planned and executed distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks against at least nine large U.S. financial institutions, including top U.S. banks and U.S. stock exchanges. During that time, ITSec Team performed work on behalf of the Iranian Government, including the IRGC.” states the press release issued by the US Treasury.
“OFAC also designated three Iranian nationals for acting for or on behalf of ITSec Team. Ahmad Fathi was responsible for supervising and coordinating ITSec Team’s DDoS attacks against the U.S. financial sector. Amin Shokohi, a computer hacker who worked for ITSec Team, helped build the botnet that ITSec Team used in its DDoS attacks against U.S. financial institutions. Hamid Firoozi, a network manager at ITSec Team, procured computer servers for the botnet that ITSec Team used in its DDoS activities targeting the U.S. financial sector.”
Ahmad Fathi, 37; Hamid Firoozi, 34; Amin Shokohi, 25; Sadegh Ahmadzadegan, aka Nitr0jen26, 23; Omid Ghaffarinia, aka PLuS, 25; Sina Keissar, 25; and Nader Saedi, aka Turk Server, 26; were charged to have launched DDoS attacks against 46 organizations, most of which US financial institutions from late 2011 to mid-2013.
Firoozi was also charged with hacking into a server at a New York dam between August and September 2013.
“Hamid Firoozi, a network manager at ITSec Team, procured computer servers for the botnet that ITSec Team used in its DDoS activities targeting the U.S. financial sector.” continues the press release.
