U.S. Offers $10 Million Reward for DarkSide Ransomware Leaders
The Biden administration is offering a reward of as much as $10 million for information that helps identify or track down leaders of the notorious DarkSide ransomware group, officials announced Thursday.
U.S. law enforcement has said the Russia-linked group is behind the ransomware attack that crippled Colonial Pipeline Co. in May.
The attack shut down a 5,500-mile long pipeline that provides fuel to the East Coast, leading to gas shortages. The company ultimately paid the ransom.
The State Department said it’s also offering as much as $5 million for information that leads to the arrest or conviction -- in any country -- of people “conspiring to participate in or attempting to participate” in an attack using DarkSide’s ransomware.
Like many other ransomware groups, DarkSide offered its hacking tools to so-called affiliates, who could then wage their own attacks. Such schemes are known as ransomware-as-a-service.
In a June summit, President Joe Biden warned his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, that Russian hackers should steer clear of 16 critical infrastructure sectors, which includes energy companies such as Colonial.
The attack shut down a 5,500-mile long pipeline that provides fuel to the East Coast, leading to gas shortages. The company ultimately paid the ransom.
The State Department said it’s also offering as much as $5 million for information that leads to the arrest or conviction -- in any country -- of people “conspiring to participate in or attempting to participate” in an attack using DarkSide’s ransomware.
Like many other ransomware groups, DarkSide offered its hacking tools to so-called affiliates, who could then wage their own attacks. Such schemes are known as ransomware-as-a-service.
In a June summit, President Joe Biden warned his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, that Russian hackers should steer clear of 16 critical infrastructure sectors, which includes energy companies such as Colonial.
