US offers $10 million for info on Iranian allegedly behind cyberattacks on critical infrastructure
The U.S. government is offering a $10 million reward for information leading to the capture of Amir Yaryab, a senior Iranian official allegedly responsible for directing a series of cyberattacks against critical infrastructure in the U.S. and internationally. These attacks are being carried out by Iranian-linked groups, including CyberAv3ngers, and have targeted sectors like defense, energy, and telecommunications.
The United States Department of State has announced a $10 million reward in pursuit of Amir Yaryab, a high-ranking Iranian official suspected of orchestrating a campaign of cyberattacks against vital U.S. infrastructure. U.S. officials claim Yaryab leads the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Cyber-Electronic Command (CEC), which then directs several Iranian hacking groups. These groups, including CyberAv3ngers, Dadeh Afzar Arman (DAA), and Mehrsam Andisheh Saz Nik (MASN), have been linked to attacks on sectors such as defense, news, shipping, travel (hotels and airlines), energy, and financial and telecommunications systems across the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. Specifically, CyberAv3ngers was previously implicated in attacks against water utilities in 2023 and 2024. The U.S. has been raising concerns since late July about a resurgence in Iranian hacking activity targeting the water industry, with over 100 entities breached in at least 12 states. Furthermore, Iranian hackers have been linked to attacks on a prominent medical device company and the personal email account of the FBI director. The Treasury Department has already sanctioned numerous Iranian nationals involved in these cyberattacks. This escalation highlights a growing strategic competition between the U.S. and Iran in the digital realm.