The United States has announced a reward of up to $10 million for information that could help locate Amir Yariab, a senior official with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Cyber-Electronic Command.
The US Department of State announced the reward on Thursday through its Rewards for Justice programme as Washington steps up efforts to identify and disrupt Iranian cyber operations targeting critical infrastructure.
Yariab is identified by the US as the head of the IRGC-CEC Cyber Operations Command, where he oversees multiple units and affiliated organisations involved in cyber and cyber-enabled information operations.
According to the US government, the organisations linked to Yariab have targeted critical infrastructure and other sectors across the United States, Europe and the Middle East.
The alleged targets include defence organisations, media and news outlets, shipping companies, hotels, airlines, energy firms, financial institutions and telecommunications systems.
The US authorities also identified several organisations that they say fall under the CEC structure, including Shahid Hemmat, Shahid Shushtari, CyberAv3ngers, Dadeh Afzar Arman, Mehrsam Andisheh Saz Nik, Net Peygard Samavat, Aria Sepehr Ayandehsazan and Ayandeh Sazan Sepehr Arya.
The latest reward offer comes amid broader US efforts to prosecute individuals accused of conducting cyberattacks on behalf of Iranian organisations.
In August, the US Department of Justice charged 17 members of the Iran-based Mabna Institute over an alleged long-running campaign targeting computer systems around the world.
According to prosecutors, the cyber campaign began in 2013 and affected 144 US universities, 178 universities outside the US, at least 42 US companies, 11 foreign companies, five US federal and state agencies and at least two non-governmental organisations.
The Justice Department alleged that the attackers stole more than 31 terabytes of academic data and intellectual property, while also gaining access to email accounts belonging to employees of companies, government agencies and NGOs.
Prosecutors said the defendants carried out many of the intrusions on behalf of the IRGC and other Iranian entities.
Nine of the suspects were previously charged in a seven-count indictment announced in March 2018, while the wider case has continued to develop.
The case has been assigned to Jesse M. Furman, a federal judge in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. The defendants face potential prison sentences ranging from two to 20 years on the charges.
The new $10 million reward for information on Yariab reflects Washington’s continued focus on Iranian cyber operations and individuals it considers responsible for attacks against critical infrastructure and other strategic sectors.
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