Iranian Hackers Target North Carolina-Based Company In Ransomware Attack

A North Carolina-based medical company was targeted as part of an alleged nationwide cyber attack by Iranian hackers, according to an indictment released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Justice.

A six-count indictment accused two men – Faramarz Shahi Savandi, 34, and Mohammad Mehdi Shah Mansouri, 27, working from inside Iran ­– of conducting ransomware attacks that affected more than 200 victims, including LabCorp, a medical laboratory firm based in Burlington.

According to the indictment, the men would hack into private networks and encrypt information they found so the company couldn't access it. They would then demand a ransom for a release of the encrypted information.

Like LabCorp, many of the victims were hospitals or medical facilities, although the men also allegedly targeted public institutions and municipalities like the City of Atlanta.

Savandi and Mansouri allegedly collected over $6 million in ransom payments, and caused more than $30 million in losses because of the lost data.

The Department of Justice did not disclose how much money, if any, LabCorp paid as part of a ransom agreement.

The FBI is encouraging anyone with information about the whereabouts of the men to contact their local FBI office or nearest American embassy or consulate.