Iranian National Extradited to U.S. in $3.4 Billion Cyberattack Case

Montenegro has extradited an Iranian-Turkish dual national to the United States in connection with alleged cyberattacks that targeted more than 150 U.S. universities and caused an estimated $3.4 billion in damages, Montenegrin police announced Thursday.

Amir Barati, 40, was arrested in June by Montenegro’s Interpol office and local police in the coastal town of Kotor. The arrest was made at the request of U.S. authorities, including the FBI. Montenegrin police described Barati as a “high-profile” target sought for his alleged involvement in cybercrime and organized crime.

Barati faces several charges in New York, including conspiracy to commit computer fraud, hacking, and identity theft. Police allege that he began carrying out large-scale cyberattacks against U.S. infrastructure in 2013 while working with an entity based in Iran. The data stolen in these attacks, as well as access to compromised university accounts, were allegedly used to benefit Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other Iranian organizations, including universities.

The arrest and extradition were the result of information and intelligence sharing between Montenegrin and U.S. law enforcement agencies.