US offers up to $10M for successful tips about Iranian hacker group

(NewsNation) — A United States information programme is offering up to $10 cardinal for accusation that leads to the recognition oregon whereabouts of a radical of Near East hackers known arsenic "CyberAv3ngers."

The radical — affiliated with the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Cyber-Electronic Command (IRGC-CEC) — targeted and compromised Israel-based Unitronics equipment, according to a quality release.

In October 2023, CyberAv3ngers took recognition for attacks against Israeli programmable logic controllers (PLCs) connected their Telegram channel. The controllers are tools for h2o and wastewater, energy, nutrient and beverage, manufacturing, healthcare, and different industries.

Since astatine slightest Nov. 22, 2023, CyberAv3ngers actors person accessed PCLs crossed the U.S. and near a connection connected the devices’ screens stating, “You person been hacked, down with Israel. Every instrumentality ‘made successful Israel’ is CyberAv3ngers ineligible target.” Affected devices whitethorn go inoperable.

On Feb. 2, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced sanctions against six IRGC-CEC officials: Hamid Homayunfal, Hamid Reza Lashgarian, Mahdi Lashgarian, Milad Mansuri, Reza Mohammad Amin Saberian, and Mohammad Bagher Shirinkar. All are Iranian information officials linked to IRGC hacking groups. The U.S. has named them Specially Designated Nationals. As a result, immoderate of their spot successful the U.S. is blocked, according to the release.

Anyone with accusation connected CyberAv3ngers should interaction Rewards for Justice via the tips reporting nexus connected the Rewards for Justice website linked here. Rewards for Justice is simply a U.S. interagency nether the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service.