The US State Department said Rewards for Justice is offering up to 10 million dollars for information that helps identify or locate two Iran linked cyber actors tied to operations against US critical infrastructure.
The program said Mohammad Bagher Shirinkar oversees the Shahid Shushtari cyber group and that Fatemeh Sedighian Kashi is a long time employee who works closely with him in planning and carrying out cyber operations. Shahid Shushtari is part of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Cyber Electronic Command and has operated under names that include Emennet Pasargad, Aria Sepehr Ayandehsazan and Net Peygard Samavat Company.
US officials said the group has caused financial damage and disruption to US businesses and government agencies and has targeted news, shipping, travel, energy, financial and telecommunications sectors in the United States, Europe and the Middle East.
Rewards for Justice said Shahid Shushtari actors ran a multi step operation during the 2020 US presidential election and had earlier carried out cyber enabled information operations that used a false flag persona.
The Treasury Department in 2021 designated the group, then known as Emennet, and six of its employees under an executive order for attempting to influence the 2020 election.
The State Department urged people with information on Shirinkar, Sedighian or the Shahid Shushtari group to send tips through its Tor based reporting channel.
