State Department Announces $10 Million Bounty for Colonial Pipeline Hackers
The reward is being issued for information on the identity and location of the DarkSide ransomware variant cyber criminal group.
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The State Department has announced a $10 million reward for anyone who can provide information on leaders of the cyber criminal group that launched a ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline, reports The Hill. The reward, offered as part of the State Department’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program, is being issued for information on the identity and location of the DarkSide ransomware variant cyber criminal group, which is believed to be based in Russia, and an additional $5 million reward for information on individuals looking to participate in a DarkSide ransomware attack.
The agency has paid out more than $135 million in rewards to date. DarkSide was forced offline shortly after the Colonial Pipeline attack due to a reported law enforcement operation, but a recent federal advisory warned that the BlackMatter ransomware group behind recent attacks on the agricultural sector was a “possible rebrand of DarkSide,” a revelation that highlighted ongoing concerns.
