The United States government is offering a substantial reward of USD 10 million to individuals with information regarding the identities and activities of four suspected members of an Iranian hacking collective.
The United States’ Rewards for Justice program has made a reward available for information regarding four individuals suspected of being affiliated with Shahid Hemmat, a hacking group allegedly supported by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Cyber-Digital Command.
Iranian hackers are suspected of orchestrating a series of malicious attacks targeting critical US infrastructure, including vital sectors such as water services, energy systems, and manufacturing facilities.
Shahid Hemmat is often cited as a case study for his alleged involvement with the Municipal Water Authority in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, where a crucial pump was shut down on November 2023’s supply line, impacting nearby cities’ access to drinking water.
The programmable logic controller, manufactured by Unitronics, an Israeli agency, presented a striking visual:
“You have got been hacked. Down with Israel. The Cyber Avengers’ ‘Made in Israel’ tools are their authorized objective.
Within days, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) alerted the water sector to an urgent threat: attackers were actively exploiting Unitronics PLCs with unsecured internet-facing ports.
It is crucially important to stress that default passwords should be promptly replaced with robust, unique alternatives on vulnerable PLCs, as well as enabling multi-factor authentication and implementing other key security measures.
Simultaneously, hackers launched an attack on a brewery’s management system, disrupting beer production.
The Shahid Hemmat hacking group, also known by its alias “Cyber Avengers,” has taken responsibility for a series of cyberattacks targeting Israeli services since 2020, with reported ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-linked group, Troopers of Solomon.
A substantial reward of up to $10 million is being offered for information leading to the identification or location of Manuchehr Akbari, Amir Hosein Hoseini, Mohammad Hosein Moradi, and Mohammad Reza Rafatinezhad.
The Rewards for Justice program has attempted to elicit responses by offering relocation and reward funds denominated in cryptocurrency to eligible informants, acknowledging that some may require an additional layer of anonymity and potentially assistance in establishing a new life.
Suggestions can be shared through Sign’s encrypted messaging platform, or anonymously via the Tor-based tipline. Rewards for Justice claims to thoroughly review every tip submitted, ensuring prompt communication with those who provide valuable information by dispatching messages in multiple languages.
More information about this topic will be revealed on the official platform.
