The US Department of Finance announced the introduction of sanctions against six officials associated with the Iranian intelligence agency for cyber attacks on critically important infrastructure facilities in the USA and other countries.
The sanctioned officials are part of the CYBERONUSION of the Iranian Islamic Revolution Guard Corps Cyber-Electronic Command (IRGC-SEC). They include Hamid Reza Lashgarian (63 years old), Mahdi Lashgarian (35 years old), Hamidai Homida (37 years old), Mila Mansuri (35 years old), Mohammad Bager Shirinkar (45 years old), and Mohammad Amin Saberian (44 years old).
Of particular concern is Hamid Reza Lashgarian, who leads the IRGC Central Electoral Commission (IRGC-CEC) and serves as the commander of the IRGC-Qods Force. Lashgarian is accused of participating in various cyber operations and intelligence activities conducted by the IRGC.
The US Department of Finance accuses these individuals of cyber operations, including attacks on programmable logical controllers (PLCs) used in critical infrastructures. One notable attack occurred in November 2023, where Iranian hackers breached the municipal water supply of the city of Alikvippa in Pennsylvania using PLCs provided by the Israeli Unitronics company.
The US Treasury highlights the sensitivity of these programmable logical controllers, as unauthorized access to critical infrastructure systems can have detrimental effects on public safety and result in severe humanitarian consequences.
These attacks are attributed to the group of Hactivists Cyber Av3NGERS, which has been active since 2020 and known for its destructive attacks. The group has targeted Israel and the USA in response to the conflict between Israel and Hamas. They have previously conducted attacks on the Boston Children’s Hospital in 2021 and targeted infrastructure systems in Europe and Israel, including oil refineries and power supply systems.
The US Department of Finance emphasizes the importance of imposing sanctions to deter future cyber attacks on critical infrastructure, safeguarding public safety, and preventing potential humanitarian crises.