US offers $10 million reward for information on FSB hackers

The US State Department has offered a reward of up to $10 million for information on three Russian FSB officers involved in cyberattacks on critical infrastructure. The US authorities said the hackers acted on behalf of the Kremlin and targeted energy companies, government agencies and organizations in more than 130 countries.

• The suspects are Marat Tyukov, Mikhail Gavrilov and Pavel Akulov, all of whom are members of FSB Center 16 (also known as military unit 71330). The unit is tracked under the names Berserk Bear, Dragonfly, Blue Kraken, Crouching Yeti and Koala Team.

• According to the US Department of Justice, in 2012-2017 they participated in a campaign against government agencies, including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as well as against the Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation, which operates a nuclear power plant in Kansas.

The FBI recently warned that the group continues to exploit the CVE-2018-0171 vulnerability in old Cisco devices, which allows remote code execution. According to Cisco Talos, the attacks are aimed at communication facilities, manufacturing facilities, universities and enterprises in the US, Europe, Asia and Africa.

The Rewards for Justice channel on Tor operates for reports about these individuals, which guarantees confidentiality and the possibility of relocation of informants.

This is not the first time that Washington has announced monetary rewards for information about Russian cybercriminals. In June 2025, the US already promised up to $10 million for information about hackers associated with the RedLine infostealer and its creator, Maxim Rudometov. Such steps demonstrate that the fight against state cyberespionage is moving into the realm of economic pressure and incentives for potential insiders.

The US authorities are consistently forming a global coalition against Russian cyberattacks. A reward of $10 million could become a powerful tool to disrupt the activities of the Berserk Bear group and reduce risks to critical infrastructure in the world. For companies, this is another signal: it is necessary to update security systems and patch equipment without delay.