UPDATE: US Charges 7 Iranians with Cyber Attacks, Cuomo Reacts

UPDATE, March 24, 2016, 2:55 p.m.: Governor Andrew Cuomo issued the following statement regarding the indictments issued relating to cyber attacks on a dam in Westchester County and U.S. financial institutions:

"The federal indictments outlined that allege seven Iranian individuals performed computer hacking work on behalf of the Iranian government – including one case targeting the Bowman Avenue Dam in Westchester County in 2013 – are serious and demonstrate the challenges our nation faces combating cyber threats. I applaud the U.S. Department of Justice on its successful investigation of this matter and identifying those responsible."

"The number of cyber attacks in the United States continues to rise and New York State is not immune to this threat. My administration has made cyber security a top priority and implemented new measures to safeguard our critical infrastructure in New York State. As outlined in our New York State Homeland Security Strategy, these measures include strengthening networking infrastructure through upgrades in outdated infrastructure, introducing new technologies that improve security within State agencies, and developing new partnerships at the federal and local levels. While we constantly monitor and assess our cyber security capabilities, we will continue to be proactive and support our cyber security programs dedicated to the safety and security of all New Yorkers."

At Governor Cuomo's direction, New York State has taken numerous steps to enhance its cyber security capabilities, including:

• Conducting targeted cyber security preparedness assessments of the financial institutions regulated by the New York State Department of Financial Services.
• Co-locating the New York State Intelligence Center with the Multi-State Information-Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) in October 2013, which fostered greater collaboration between NY State and the Federal Government.
• Creating a Cyber Security Advisory Board consisting of several of the country’s foremost cyber security experts. The board has provided recommendations on policies and programs that have helped the administration better protect NY State. The board is scheduled to convene its next meeting in April.
• Announcing a new College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity at the Harriman Campus in Albany to train the next generation of security professionals.
• Creating a new state-of-the-art data center to better protect NY IT and data services.
• Establishing the Cyber Analysis Unit within the New York State Police to monitor cyber threats and collect and disseminate vital intelligence on these threats. The Cyber Analysis Unit is fully staffed with expertly trained cyber security professionals and provides sector specific intelligence reports to law enforcement, private businesses, and government entities.

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Original Story:

Seven Iranians have been indicted for cyber attacks against U.S. financial institutions and a Westchester dam.

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch and Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced charges Thursday against Ahmad Fathi, 37, Hamid Firoozi, 34, Amin Shokohi, 25, Sadegh Ahmadzadegan, 23, Omid Ghaffarinia, 25, Sina Keissar, 25, and Nader Saedi, 26, for conducting a coordinated campaign of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks against 46 major companies, which were primarily in the U.S. financial Sector.

In addition, Firoozi is also charged with obtaining unauthorized access into the control system of the Bowman Dam in Rye Brook in August and September of 2013. The dam is owned by the City of Rye.

According to Lynch, Firoozi was able to obtain information regarding the status and operation of the dam.

He was able to access water level and temperature data, as well as the status of the sluice gate, which controls water levels and flow rate.

The gate had been disconnected for maintenance at the time of cyber attack.

Officials said the public was never in any danger.

All seven men are citizens and residents of Iran.

They are each charged with one count of consipiracty to commit and aid and abet computer hacking, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

FIroozi is also charged with an additional count of obtaining and aiding and abetting unauthorized access to a protected computer, which carries an maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Photo credit: City of Rye.