The United States is offering $ 10 million to track down DarkSide hackers

On Thursday, November 4, the United States announced a $ 10 million reward for information leading to the detection of a group of hackers who specialize in ransomware DarkSide. Washington has accused a Russian-based group of being behind an online attack that shut down a large network of refined product pipelines in the United States a few months ago.

Ransomware, or “ransomware,” uses security holes in a business or individual to encrypt and block their computer systems, demanding a ransom to open them. According to experts at experienced cybercriminals, DarkSite steals confidential data from infected companies, often from Western countries, and demands a ransom to “recover” them.

“By presenting this award, the United States demonstrates its commitment to preventing ransomware victims around the world from being exploited by cybercriminals.”The U.S. State Department said in a statement.

$ 5 million to arrest accomplices

In any country, Washington provides $ 5 million for information leading to the arrest or indictment of anyone attempting to take part in an attack in conjunction with DarkSide.

Cyber ​​crime is on the rise. According to new data released in October, $ 590 million (€ 510 million) in ransomware-related payments were reported to U.S. authorities in the first half of the year.

According to the U.S. Treasury Report, this amount is 42% higher than the amount revealed by financial institutions throughout 2020, and there are strong indicators that the actual cost could be in the billions.

Businesses and companies face intense pressure to pull out their wallets to open their data, but should not expose themselves to attacking their customers and officials who have issued stern warnings against giving money to criminals.