Biographical details:
Arman Kahzadian is Iranian and lives in Iran.
He has been affiliated with the IRGC, MOIS, Mabna Institute, Digital Boys Underground Team, APA Security and Imen Wall Pardaz.
He is known by the following online alias: Skitt3r.
Summary of activities within Iranian Cyber Operations:
Kahzadian is a malicious cyber actor sponsored by Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security. He has participated in hacking and data exfiltration operations against the U.S and its allies to the benefit of the Iranian government.
Key Incidents and Attribution:
Since 2012, Kahzadian has worked for private security companies conducting malicious cyber operations against critical infrastructure sectors and news organizations within the U.S. the UK and several countries throughout the Middle East in support of the Iranian Government, including the IRGC.
Around 2017, Kahzadian started working for the Mabna Institute.
International Recognition & Legal Actions
US Criminal Indictments and Arrest Warrants:
In 2020, Kahzadian was indicted by the U.S Department of Justice for his role in Mabna Institutes malicious operations.
On the 18 August 2026, the U.S Department of Justice “Rewards for Justice” program announced that it is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of any person who, while acing at the direction or under the control of a foreign government, participates in malicious cyber activities against U.S critical infrastructure in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
The U.S Department of Justice unveiled the 14-count superseding (S2) indictment charging 17 members of the Mabna Institute, including Kahzadian. The superseding indictment alleged that, at the behest of entities including the IRGC, these defendants hacked into universities and other research institutions worldwide, including the United States, stealing at least 31 terabytes of information and intellectual property of untold value.
Sanctions and Designations: The U.S Treasury released a press release on the 24 August 2026 announcing a fresh wave of sanctions against more than 60 officials, entities, and networks linked to Iran’s military, cyber, and oil trading activities. These sanctions included Kahzadian and other members of the Mabna Institute.
