Georgia Charges Iranians In Ransomware Attack On Atlanta
U.S. Attorney Byung Pak says Faramarz Savandi and Mohammed Mansouri were behind the cyber extortion scheme that crippled many of the city's computer systems in March, causing millions in damages.
A federal grand jury in Atlanta on Wednesday became the latest to indict two Iranian nationals on charges of creating and deploying the "SamSam" ransomware that attacked vital city computer systems earlier this year in an attempt to extort tens of thousands of dollars from the local government.
The indictment, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, charges Faramarz Savandi and Mohammed Mansouri with intentional damage to Atlanta's protected computers. The cyberattack is a violation and threatened public health and safety, the U.S. Attorney's office said in a statement.
