US State Department Offers $140 Billion To Anyone With Information On The Whereabouts Of The DarkSide Leader

The US State Department is setting up a contest to capture DarkSide. (photo: doc. unsplash)

JAKARTA - The US State Department on Thursday, November 4 announced a reward of up to USD 10 million for information leading to the identification or location of anyone associated with a key leadership position at DarkSide, a cybercrime organization that the FBI says is based in Russia.

The FBI said DarkSide was responsible for a cyberattack last May, which targeted the Colonial Pipeline. This attack led to the closure of their operations for days. The action also led to a spike in gas prices, customer panic, and local fuel shortages in the southeastern US.

The State Department also said it had offered a reward of up to USD 5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction in any country of anyone who attempted to participate in the DarkSide ransomware incident.

"In offering this prize, the United States is demonstrating its commitment to protecting ransomware victims worldwide from exploitation by cybercriminals," the department said in a statement.

Colonial Pipeline said it paid hackers nearly USD 5 million in Bitcoin to regain access to its systems. The US Department of Justice in June managed to recover about USD 2.3 million from the ransom.

The State Department in July also offered a reward of up to 10 million for information leading to the identification or location of anyone who, while acting on the direction of or under the control of a foreign government, participates in malicious cyber activity against critical US infrastructure.