State Department reissues $10 million reward for info on Iranian hackers

The State Department is looking for information on hackers connected to the Iranian group Handala as well as other cyber actors in the country.

A notice on Friday calling for information was sent out hours after the FBI confirmed that Iranian hackers gained access to Director Kash Patel’s personal email account and leaked stolen information.

Two weeks ago, the State Department issued a $10 million reward for information on any Iranian hackers who participated in cyber operations targeting the U.S. On Friday, that reward was reissued while specifically naming two entities — Handala and Parsian Afzar Rayan Borna. 

Handala has taken credit for several recent cyberattacks on U.S. and Israeli companies and government officials, including an impactful incident involving medical device firm Stryker. Prosecutors said Handala is run out of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS). 

The Justice Department and FBI have repeatedly taken down Handala’s websites — including several over the weekend that hosted information stolen from Patel. The group has continued to issue threats toward U.S. citizens and countries, making several claims of cyberattacks over the weekend that have not been verified. 

Parsian Afzar Rayan Borna is an Iranian IT company with deep ties to MOIS and Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Iranian researchers believe the company has been a key cog in several notable Iran-backed cyber campaigns.

The company allegedly assisted state hackers in targeting Albania’s government in 2022 while also taking part in domestic surveillance and espionage. Opposition parties in Iran have claimed the company spreads government propaganda online through fake social media accounts. 

Private tech companies in Iran have long been linked to both cybercriminals and state-backed hackers but this appears to be one of the first times the FBI has explicitly named a company alongside a hacking group. 

Last year, the U.S. State Department issued another $10 million reward for the Iranian hackers behind CyberAv3ngers — a group that gained prominence in 2023 and 2024 for a string of cyberattacks on U.S. and Israeli water utilities.