News media are reporting that the U.S. Justice Department is preparing to announce charges against Iranian hackers for cyberattacks on a New York dam and several U.S. banks.
AP and Reuters are reporting that the indictment, which could be announced on March 24, would be the highest-profile hacking case against a foreign nation since a landmark 2014 case against Chinese military hackers.
The case stems from a 2013 cyber-intrusion on the Bowman Avenue Dam, a small flood-control project about 30 kilometers north of New York City. No flooding occurred as a result of the intrusion.
New York Senator Charles Schumer disclosed Iran's involvement earlier this month and said "they were sending a shot across our bow."
Reuters said the indictment will directly link hacking by a half-dozen individuals living in Iran with the Iranian government.
It said that the Iranian hackers likely were connected with widely reported denial-of-service attacks against big U.S. banks in 2012, including Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Capital One.