Washington: The US Department of Justice has charged 17 Iranians with executing a widespread campaign to steal data through cyberattacks. This campaign targeted numerous institutions, including American and foreign universities, as well as various companies and government agencies.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Department revealed that the defendants specifically targeted 144 American universities, 178 foreign universities, and 42 companies and government agencies. The cyberattacks resulted in the theft of more than 31 terabytes of academic and intellectual property data.

The Department further explained that some of these hacking operations were conducted on behalf of the Revolutionary Guard and Iranian government entities and universities. This significant data breach has raised concerns over cybersecurity measures and international relations.