The US State Department has ramped up its search for ransomware perpetrators connected with the DarkSide threat group by offering a massive $10 million bounty for information leading to the location or arrest of the leaders of the cybercrime group. The federal government has been seeking to take down the cybercrime group for a while, however, the award was announced last Thursday. An additional $5 million reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of individuals participating in DarkSide attacks, rather than leaders, has also been issued.
The news comes just days after an announcement by BlackMatter, a derivative of DarkSide, that they would be ceasing operations due to increased pressure from law enforcement agencies. DarkSide is well known for its attack on Colonial Pipeline in May that wreaked havoc along the US East Coast as people began hoarding gas over Memorial day weekend. The group has also claimed responsibility for other prolific attacks, such as that against Toshiba. The US has been working to crack down on ransomware groups as part of an initiative led by the Biden administration. The US hopes to spur an international movement towards taking action against cybercrime groups.
