Three engineers charged with stealing Google secrets and sending data to Iran
CNBC • • nation
Key Points:
- Three Silicon Valley engineers—Samaneh and Soroor Ghandali, and Mohammadjavad Khosravi—were indicted for stealing trade secrets from Google and other tech firms and transferring sensitive data to Iran.
- The defendants, all Iranian nationals living in San Jose, exploited their positions at companies developing mobile processors, including Google and firms working on Snapdragon SoCs, to obtain hundreds of confidential files related to processor security and cryptography.
- Google detected the theft through routine security monitoring and alerted law enforcement; the defendants allegedly used covert methods, including routing stolen files through third-party platforms and photographing computer screens, to evade detection.
- After internal security flagged suspicious activity, Samaneh Ghandali falsely denied sharing confidential information and
