United States announces reward of up to $10 million for information on Iran cyber commander

The US State Department's Rewards for Justice program announced Thursday a $10 million bounty for information leading to Amir Yariab, senior official in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Cyber-Electronic Command. Yariab leads the IRGC-CEC's Cyber Operations Command and directs affiliates including Shahid Hemmat, Shahid Shushtari, CyberAv3ngers, Dadeh Afzar Arman, Mehrsam Andisheh Saz Nik, Net Peygard Samavat, Aria Sepehr Ayandehsazan, and Ayandeh Sazan Sepehr Arya.

These groups have conducted cyber and information operations targeting critical infrastructure sectors—defense, news, shipping, hotels, airlines, energy, and financial/telecom systems—in Europe, the Middle East, and the U.S. In August, the U.S. Department of Justice charged 17 members of the Iran-based Mabna Institute over a cyber intrusion campaign since 2013 that stole over 31 terabytes of academic data from 144 U.S.-based universities, 178 foreign universities, 42 U.S. companies, 11 foreign companies, five U.S. federal/state agencies, and at least two NGOs. The indictment states the intrusions were conducted on behalf of the IRGC.

Nine defendants from the Mabna case were previously charged in a March 2018 indictment. The case is before Judge Jesse M. Furman in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, with potential sentences of two to 20 years.

While the bounty targets Iran's cyber leadership, Nigerians should note these groups' global reach—particularly their history of infiltrating universities and companies—as a reminder to strengthen cybersecurity measures for local institutions handling sensitive data.

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/09/04/us-places-10-million-bounty-on-iran-cyber-ops-chief/