Fatemeh Sedighian Kashi & Mohammad Bagher Shirinkar

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Rewards for Justice is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of any person who, while acting at the direction or under the control of a foreign government, participates in malicious cyber activities against U.S. critical infrastructure in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

Shahid Shushtari is a malicious cyber organization with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Cyber-Electronic Command (IRGC-CEC) that has previously been identified as Aria Sepehr Ayandehsazan (ASA), Ayandeh Sazan Sepehr Arya (ASSA), Emennet Pasargad (Emennet), Eeleyanet Gostar, and Net Peygard Samavat Company.

Shahid Shushtari members have caused significant financial damage and disruption to U.S. businesses and government agencies through coordinated cyber and cyber-enabled information operations. These campaigns have targeted multiple critical infrastructure sectors, including news, shipping, travel, energy, financial, and telecommunications in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East.

Mohammad Bagher Shirinkar oversees the Shahid Shushtari group. Fatemeh Sedighian Kashi is a long-time employee of Shahid Shushtari (Emennet Pasargad).

Sedighian and Shirinkar maintain a close relationship, and Sedighian works closely with Shirinkar in the planning and conduct of cyber operations.

In August 2020, Shahid Shushtari actors began a multi-faceted campaign targeting the U.S. presidential election. In addition to the 2020 election operation, Shahid Shushtari previously conducted cyber-enabled information operations, including operations that used a false-flag persona.

For more information on Shahid Shushtari’s tradecraft, see the October 2024 Cybersecurity Advisory here: Visit External Link

On November 18, 2021, the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Shahid Shushtari – then known as Emennet — and six of its employees pursuant to Executive Order 13848 for attempting to influence the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Concurrently, Rewards for Justice highlighted Shahid Shushtari cyber actors Seyyed Mohammad Hosein Musa Kazemi and Sajjad Kashian for their involvement in attempted foreign election interference in U.S. elections.

Anyone with information on Mohammad Bagher Shirinkar, Fatemeh Sedighian Kashi, Shahid Shushtari or associated entities and/or individuals linked to malicious cyber activities targeting U.S. critical infrastructure or foreign interference in U.S. elections should contact Rewards for Justice via our Tor-based tips-reporting channel at: he5dybnt7sr6cm32xt77pazmtm65flqy6irivtflruqfc5ep7eiodiad.onion (Tor browser required).