The U.S. Department of Justice has officially charged three engineers from the Silicon Valley area of California with stealing sensitive trade secrets from Google and other major technology companies and transmitting this data to Iran. The charges were reported on Thursday, stating that a grand jury indicted Sohrangendali, her sister Samaneh Ghandali, and her husband Mohammad Javad Khosravi for conspiracy to commit trade secret theft and obstruction of justice. All three, who are Iranian-Americans residing in California, will appear in federal court.

Documents indicate that the trio utilized their positions at prominent tech firms specializing in computer processors to gain unauthorized access to confidential information. The sisters previously worked at Google before moving to another tech company, while Khosravi was employed at a firm focused on the development of chips. Investigations suggest that they smuggled hundreds of files containing secrets related to processor security and encryption technologies to personal devices and external contacts, including entities in Iran.

This incident raises significant national security concerns regarding the protection of sensitive technology in the U.S. and highlights the ongoing issue of intellectual property theft in the tech industry. The case showcases the potential vulnerabilities that can be exploited by individuals in authoritative positions and underscores the importance of stringent security measures to safeguard technological innovations from foreign adversaries.