Montenegro arrests Iran-linked hacker wanted by US over $3.4 billion cyberattacks

Montenegro has arrested an Iran-linked hacker wanted by the United States over cyberattacks that allegedly caused $3.4 billion in damage.

The arrest is part of a broader US effort to disrupt cyber operations that prosecutors say were carried out on behalf of Iranian state interests.

What was the man arrested for?

Montenegrin police said the 39-year-old suspect, identified only as A.B., was arrested in the tourist town of Kotor in cooperation with the FBI. He holds Iranian and Turkish citizenship.

He is wanted by a federal court in New York on charges including conspiracy to commit computer fraud, hacking and identity theft.

Police said that from 2013 onward, A.B. carried out large-scale hacking attacks against US infrastructure, including more than 150 universities. The attacks allegedly caused more than $3.4 billion (nearly €3 billion) in damages.

According to Montenegrin authorities, the stolen data and access to compromised university accounts were used for the benefit of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other entities, including Iranian universities.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigations worked with authorities in the Balkan state to locate and arrest the suspect. The FBI did not immediately comment on the arrest.

What happens next?

The suspect is due to appear before a court in the Montenegrin capital, Podgorica, where judges will consider a US request for his extradition.

US authorities have repeatedly warned of Iranian state-linked cyber operations targeting critical infrastructure, with intelligence and law enforcement agencies noting an increase in Iranian hacking campaigns this April.