U.S. Offers $10 Million Reward for Information on IRGC-Linked Cyber Unit Leaders
The U.S. State Department has announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the capture of two individuals, Mohammad Bagher Shirinkar and Fatemeh Sedighian Kashi, who are allegedly involved with Shahid Shushtari, a cyber unit under Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps Cyber-Electronic Command. This unit has been implicated in cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure across various sectors, including news, shipping, travel, energy, financial, and telecom, in the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East. The group, also known as Emennet Pasargad, has been active since 2018 and has been involved in operations to influence the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The Treasury Department had previously sanctioned the group and its members for these activities.