US Announces $10M Bounty on FSB Hackers Behind Cisco Exploits

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the United States has unveiled a $10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of three Russian officers of the FSB who allegedly carried out cyberattacks on U.S. critical infrastructure and exploited Cisco network equipment. The three officers named in the public notice are Marat Valeryevich Tyukov, Mikhail Mikhailovich Gavrilov, and Pavel Aleksandrovich Akulov, who are said to have worked under the Russian Federal Security Service.

The FBI released photos of the men and set up a Rewards for Justice programme to encourage witnesses to share information, with tips able to be submitted anonymously via a Tor-based link. The notice states they hacked Cisco devices used by energy firms and other essential services, targeting more than 500 foreign energy firms in at least 135 countries, placing U.S. sectors such as power grids, pipelines and utility networks at risk. This move underscores the ongoing emphasis on defending critical infrastructure amid concerns about state-sponsored cyber operations.