The U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice program has launched a major initiative offering up to $10 million for information on Iranian hackers targeting critical U.S. infrastructure.
The reward focuses on the Shahid Hemmat group members operating under Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Cyber-Electronic Command (IRGC-CEC).
The Iranian cyber group has been actively conducting malicious operations against vital U.S. sectors. Their attacks have specifically targeted water facilities, energy infrastructure, and manufacturing plants.
In one confirmed incident, the group successfully breached a U.S. water authority in Aliquippa, gaining control of one of its stations.
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The hackers’ primary strategy involves targeting programmable logic controllers (PLCs), industrial computer systems that control critical machinery.
Their attacks have resulted in inoperable devices and the display of anti-Israel messages. Security experts have revealed that the group often exploits default credentials found in online operating manuals to gain unauthorized access.
In addition to the substantial reward offering, the U.S. government has implemented multiple countermeasures:
The Department of Homeland Security’s CISA has issued alerts advising facilities to strengthen security protocols, including changing default passwords and implementing multi-factor authentication.
The Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on the identified Iranian officials, freezing their assets and prohibiting U.S. citizens from conducting business with them.
“The deliberate targeting of critical infrastructure by Iranian cyber actors is an unconscionable and dangerous act,” stated Brian E. Nelson, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.
The Rewards for Justice program emphasizes that individuals providing crucial information may be eligible for both monetary rewards and potential relocation assistance.
The program has established a secure Tor-based tip line to protect informants’ identities while submitting information about these cyber threats.
This initiative represents a significant escalation in the U.S. government’s efforts to combat state-sponsored cyber threats and protect national infrastructure from foreign adversaries.
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