The Justice Department handed down a 27-page indictment today charging a former Air Force intelligence officer with passing classified information to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The indictment also charges four hackers allegedly linked with the Tehran-based military command.

Why it matters: Today’s indictment shows increased Iranian interest in cyberespionage. Drawing upon classified information obtained from Monica Elfriede Witt, IRGC-affiliated hackers attempted to develop malicious software and fake social media profiles to target US-based spy agencies.

The efforts included software to capture keystrokes and break into web cameras, as well as malware-infused attachments passed off as pornographic photos designed to fool US officials into letting Iranian hackers tunnel into their computer networks. They also created fake e-mails and Facebook profiles to befriend unsuspecting US military intelligence officers.

Keep your friends close: Forty years to the week after the US and Iran formally cut off diplomatic relations amid the 1979 Islamic Revolution, today’s indictment helps reveal how deep Tehran’s distrust of Washington really goes. Witt said in communications obtained by investigators that she had difficulty getting over Iranian suspicions, despite embedding herself with members of the IRGC and appearing in anti-US propaganda videos.