The US State Department has announced that it will offer a reward of $10 million for information that can help law enforcement track down anyone who, on behalf of another nation, is launching cyber attacks against American infrastructure.
The Feds specifically called attention Black Cat/ALPHV ransomware-as-a-service operation, which provided support to the adversary who compromise Health Changewreaking havoc on the US healthcare system and racking up billions in damages.
While millions of dollars in cash will likely attract the attention of cybercriminals who know everything about the BlackCat operation, these Russian-speaking threat actors are believed to be operating well outside the jurisdiction of U.S. law enforcement.
“Just like in the old Wild West, the bounty program would be effective if it weren’t for the protection racket enjoyed by this gang of cybercriminals and a rogue nation state,” said Tom Kellerman, senior vice president of cyber strategy at Contrast Security , in an emailed statement. in reaction to the news of the reward.