US government offers $10 million reward for information on DarkSide hacker group

Recall that in May of this year, a ransomware attack shut down a pipeline that transports 45% of the fuel used on the U.S. East Coast. The Colonial Pipeline hacking incident led to panic buying and heightened fears about the threat posed by national infrastructure hacks.

The US State Department has decided to step up the pressure on the hackers and is offering a reward of up to $10 million to anyone who can reveal the "identity or whereabouts" of the leaders of the group responsible, an organization known as DarkSide.

In addition to the $10 million reward, the state department is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of "any person who conspired to participate or attempted to participate in the DarkSide variant ransomware incident."

What exactly this means is unclear. Is a "DarkSide variant ransomware incident" one involving the group's hacking tools? What if the software was slightly modified? The wording seems deliberately ambiguous, allowing the State Department to cast as wide a net as possible.

So if you're not the town madman and really know something, there's a pretty good chance to make some money.

Source: theverge

Illustration: foxbusiness