Thousands of victims and millions of ransoms: it's time to stop this lawlessness.
The US State Department announced a reward of up to $ 10 million for any information that will help identify and catch the leaders of the ALPHV/Blackcat hacker group. The gang specializes in cyber extortion and has attacked thousands of companies in recent years.
An additional $ 5 million is promised for data on individuals who are just about to join Blackcat's criminal activities. According to experts, this should scare off potential participants, depriving the group of support.
According to the FBI, from November 2021 to March 2022, Blackcat committed more than 60 hacks worldwide. "The scale of their activities is amazing," a representative of the bureau commented.
According to the latest data, by September 2023, ransoms worth at least $ 300 million were received from more than 1,000 victims. "This is a huge amount of money, and we will make every effort to stop the criminals," the State Department said.
In a published statement, the State Department promised that "a reward will be paid for information about the location or identity of any of the key leaders of the group behind the development and distribution of the ALPHV/Blackcat ransomware."
The payments will be made as part of an initiative to combat transnational organized crime. According to the agency, more than $ 135 million has already been paid under this program since 1986.
To securely transmit information about Blackcat and other wanted attackers, the State Department has launched a special encrypted server, Tor SecureDrop, on the darknet. According to the agency's employees, this will preserve the anonymity of informants.
Recently, the US authorities have stepped up efforts to find and detain cybercriminals. In January, a similar reward of $ 10 million was announced for data on the leaders of the Hive group.
Previously, large sums were promised for information about those involved in Conti, REvil (Sodinokibi), Darkside and other dangerous hacker communities. According to experts, such measures will at least complicate the life of criminals and weaken their potential.
The US State Department announced a reward of up to $ 10 million for any information that will help identify and catch the leaders of the ALPHV/Blackcat hacker group. The gang specializes in cyber extortion and has attacked thousands of companies in recent years.
An additional $ 5 million is promised for data on individuals who are just about to join Blackcat's criminal activities. According to experts, this should scare off potential participants, depriving the group of support.
According to the FBI, from November 2021 to March 2022, Blackcat committed more than 60 hacks worldwide. "The scale of their activities is amazing," a representative of the bureau commented.
According to the latest data, by September 2023, ransoms worth at least $ 300 million were received from more than 1,000 victims. "This is a huge amount of money, and we will make every effort to stop the criminals," the State Department said.
In a published statement, the State Department promised that "a reward will be paid for information about the location or identity of any of the key leaders of the group behind the development and distribution of the ALPHV/Blackcat ransomware."
The payments will be made as part of an initiative to combat transnational organized crime. According to the agency, more than $ 135 million has already been paid under this program since 1986.
To securely transmit information about Blackcat and other wanted attackers, the State Department has launched a special encrypted server, Tor SecureDrop, on the darknet. According to the agency's employees, this will preserve the anonymity of informants.
Recently, the US authorities have stepped up efforts to find and detain cybercriminals. In January, a similar reward of $ 10 million was announced for data on the leaders of the Hive group.
Previously, large sums were promised for information about those involved in Conti, REvil (Sodinokibi), Darkside and other dangerous hacker communities. According to experts, such measures will at least complicate the life of criminals and weaken their potential.
