Reports on Reuters tonight cite sources within the Justice Department saying they will soon indict a handful of Iranian citizens over hacking incidents targeting US banks in 2012 and 2013, and the fruitless 2013 hack of Bowman Avenue Dam on Long Island.
Officials offered few details, and said the banks that were targeted won’t be named in the indictments for fear of being the subject of retaliation. The dam incident was already publicized, though officials conceded that the hackers in that case had no control over the dam, and couldn’t have actually done anything even if they did.
It’s unclear if any of those to be indicted are actually in a country where the US can get to them, but officials also said the indictment intends to formally blame the Iranian government for the hacks, which likely is the main purpose of the indictments in the first place.
Officials have been blaming the Iranian government in comments for years, but have never offered any public evidence of their involvement in the hacks. It remains to be seen if there will be direct evidence within the indictment, or if the allegation will just be another undefended assertion.
SSDD. They’re not going to name the banks – probably because there were no banks hacked by Iranians but more likely the script-kiddies down the street.
I think it’s time Obama cleaned out his Administration of those who are unwilling or incapable of moving past the Iranian hostage episode in 1979-1981.
Those damn Iranians.