US To Grant $10 Million Reward to Someone Who Can Share Details About DarkSide Ransomware Hackers

The United States announced on Thursday, November 4 that it is offering a $10 million reward for information about the DarkSide hackers. Authorities are now on the lookout for Russian cybercriminals who have been carrying out ransomware attacks all over the world.

The United States wishes to apprehend the DarkSide Ransomware Gang

Cyberattack Forces Shutdown Of Major U.S. Fuel Pipeline

According to a recent Reuters report, the country’s State Department was hell-bent on locating and identifying the individuals behind the DarkSide group.

The executive department also stated that in addition to the $10 million reward, it will provide a $5 million bonus to the affiliate who will coordinate the arrest of the suspects.

The notorious Russian scammer organization is also the same group that launched the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack in May. The hacking continued for several days, resulting in the closure of the largest pipeline system in the United States.

The authorities have been working hard to convict the hackers. The members are said to be experts in cyber-extortion, as well as system encryption and data-stealing strategies.

The group’s most common tactic is to demand a ransom from the victim in exchange for an encryption key. Later, DarkSide will agree to keep the company’s additional details on file.

“By providing this reward, the United States demonstrates its commitment to protecting ransomware victims all over the world from cybercriminals’ exploitation. The United States looks to countries that harbor ransomware criminals and are willing to bring justice to those businesses and organizations that have been affected by ransomware “According to a ZDNet report, the department stated.

Aside from commercial industries, the DarkSide team was also involved in the data breach that affected the well-known American clothing brand Guess. Many employees and customers were concerned that their sensitive information would be exposed to the public at the time.

The BlackMatter Ransomware has been deactivated

The revamped DarkSide ransomware, dubbed “BlackMatter,” is said to have been shut down as a result of intense legal pressure.

Emsisoft’s cybersecurity experts discovered erroneous coding by the criminals. To assist the victims in exploiting the flaw, the researchers provided them with free access to decryption tools.

Security analysts soon discovered that BlackMatter is a reincarnation of DarkSide. According to the investigation, the group is still operating in small numbers. The covert scheme infiltrated even the health care and agricultural sectors.

This Year’s Most Memorable Ransomware Attacks

This week, Tech Times published a list of the most significant cyber attacks that have occurred in 2021.

We also included the Kaseya cyberattack and the JBS data breach, in addition to the Colonial Pipeline attack.

Aside from this list, we also shared important tips for slowing down these types of attacks. ISACA.org wrote this reminder in five different ways.

First, the site advised users to keep a backup of their files at all times. It also advised them to use ransomware detection software and to keep all of their apps up to date.

It’s also a good idea to provide employee training and to regularly monitor the system in this regard.

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