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U.S. NEWS Thursday 15 sepTember 2022
3 Iranian citizens charged in broad hacking campaign in U.S.

By ERIC TUCKER operate with impunity.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The In a related action Wednes-
Justice Department said day, the Treasury Depart-
Wednesday that three Ira- ment's Office of Foreign As-
nian citizens have been sets Control sanctioned 10
charged in the United individuals and two entities
States with ransomware at- affiliated with Iran's Islamic
tacks that targeted power Revolutionary Guard Corps
companies, local govern- who it says have been in-
ments and small businesses volved in malicious cyber
and nonprofits, including a activities, including ransom-
domestic violence shelter. ware. The Treasury Depart-
The charges accuse the ment identified the three
hacking suspects of tar- defendants in the Justice
geting hundreds of enti- Department case as em-
ties in the U.S. and around ployees of a technology
the world, encrypting and firm it says is affiliated with
stealing data from victim the Revolutionary Guard.
networks, and threaten- John Hultquist, vice presi-
ing to release it publicly or dent for threat intelligence
leave it encrypted unless at the cybersecurity firm
exorbitant ransom pay- Mandiant, said his team
ments were made. In some has been tracking the Ira-
cases, the victims made nian actors for some time
those payments, the de- An American flag flies outside the Department of Justice in Washington, March 22, 2019. and assessed they are con-
partment said. Associated Press tractors for the Revolution-
The Biden administration ary Guard who have been
has tried to go after hack- Iran-based hackers have statement accompanying financial gain, and some moonlighting as criminal
ers who have held U.S. tar- also been a focus over the the indictment unsealed of the victims were even in hackers.
gets essentially hostage, of- last year, with the FBI last Wednesday. "Today's an- Iran, according to a senior The actions come amid an
ten sanctioned or sheltered year thwarting a planned nouncement makes clear Justice Department official apparent stalemate in talks
by adversaries. The threat cyberattack on a children's the threat is both local and who briefed reporters on between the U.S. and Iran
gained particular promi- hospital in Boston that was global. It's one we can't ig- the case on the condition over the possible revival of
nence in May 2021 when a to have been carried out nore and it's one we can't of anonymity under ground a 2015 nuclear deal. Israel
Russia-based hacker group by hackers sponsored by fight on our own, either." rules set by the depart- and some U.S. lawmakers
was accused of conduct- the Iranian government. The hackers named in ment. of both parties are push-
ing a ransomware attack "The cyber threat facing Wednesday's indictment But the official said the ac- ing the Biden administra-
on Georgia-based Colonial our nation is growing more are not believed to have tivity, even if not directed tion to get tougher on Iran,
Pipeline, which disrupted dangerous and complex been working on behalf by the Iranian government, calling the negotiations on
gas supplies along the East every day," FBI Director of the Iranian government exists because the regime Iran's nuclear program a
Coast. Christopher Wray said in a but instead for their own permits hackers to largely failure.q

Study: 1-in-5 U.S. adults bet money on sports in past year

By WAYNE PARRY line sites were regulated by adults from July 5-17. Its
Associated Press a government agency, or margin of error is plus or mi-
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) were unregulated offshore nus 2 percentage points.
— Nearly one in five U.S. sites. More male respondents
adults bet money on sports The survey's results indicate than female — 24% versus
over the past year, accord- that the nascent U.S. le- 15% — said they had bet
ing to a survey released gal sports betting industry, on sports in some form in
Wednesday. while growing rapidly, has the past year. And of re-
The report from the Pew plenty of room for expan- spondents under 50 years
Research Center shows sion; more than 80% of all of age, 22% had bet on
that 19% of adults surveyed legal sports bets in the U.S. sports compared to 17%
said they had wagered on are made online. over 50.
sports. As of last Thursday's kickoff The Pew Center said 27%
The most common way to the NFL season, 31 states of Black respondents and
they did so was by placing plus Washington D.C. of- 24% of the Hispanic re-
bets with friends or family, fered legal sports betting, spondents reported hav- A customer makes a sports bet at the Ocean Casino Resort in
such as a private betting and several others will do ing bet on sports, while 18% Atlantic City, N.J. on Sept. 6, 2022. In the fifth year of legal sports
pool, fantasy league or a so soon. of white adults and 10% of betting in most U.S. states, the action is speeding up due to mi-
casual bet; 15% of respon- A record 46.6 million Ameri- Asian-Americans said they crobetting, the ability to place a bet on an outcome as narrowly
targeted as the result of the next pitch in baseball or the next
dents said they bet in this cans say they plan to bet had. play in football.
manner. on the current NFL season, It found no significant dif- Associated Press
Only 8% said they had up 3% from last year, ac- ferences in sports betting
made sports bets in per- cording to the American by educational attainment those without a college de- bracket, 19% of middle-in-
son at a casino, racetrack Gaming Association, the or household income level: gree said they had done come and 19% of lower-in-
or kiosk, and 6% reported gambling industry's nation- 18% of college graduates so. come households reported
having done so online. The al trade group. said they bet on sports in Meanwhile, 22% of adults making sports bets in the
survey did not ask if the on- The center surveyed 6,034 the past year, and 20% of in the upper-income wage past year.q