The State Department is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information about the identity or location of the leaders of a global ransomware gang, known as Hive, the agency announced on Thursday.
It is also offering up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of anyone involved with Hive. The ransomware gang has extorted more than $100 million in ransom payments from hospitals, schools, financial firms and critical infrastructure since June 2021.
Late last month, the Justice Department announced the FBI infiltrated Hive’s computer networks in July 2022 and captured decryption keys that it provided to the ransomware gang’s victims, preventing $130 million in ransom payments.
It ultimately seized control of Hive’s servers and websites, disrupting the ransomware group’s capabilities, the Justice Department said.
“Last night, the Justice Department dismantled an international ransomware network responsible for extorting and attempting to extort hundreds of millions of dollars from victims in the United States and around the world,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement last month.
“Cybercrime is a constantly evolving threat. But as I have said before, the Justice Department will spare no resource to identify and bring to justice, anyone, anywhere, who targets the United States with a ransomware attack,” he added at the time.
A recent report from Chainalysis found that ransomware payments surged last year, hitting a record-high of $1.1 billion. This represents a vast increase from the $567 million extorted in 2022.