The US State Department is offering $10 million for information that could lead to identifying key members of the country’s leadership Hive ransomware crime groupin parallel with the dismantling of the group’s infrastructure.
It is also offering $5 million for any information leading to the arrest or conviction of an individual participating or attempting to participate in activities related to Hive Ransomware.
The reward is provided via the Department of State Transnational Organized Crime Reward Program (TOCRP).
The program, established in 2013, provides the Secretary of State with “statutory authority to offer rewards of up to $25 million for information that leads to the reduction of transnational crime.” This covers, among other things, areas such as cybercrime, human trafficking and trafficking in other illicit goods.
The Hive ransomware group has been very active in numerous countries, including the United States. In 2022, the FBI has managed to make significant progress get the group’s decryption keys after penetrating its computer networks. This event saved victims up to $130 million in potential ransom payments globally.
“Today’s announcement complements the Department of Justice’s announcement that it, together with Europol, German and Dutch authorities, and the United States Secret Service, had taken control of Hive’s servers and websites, thus disrupting the Hive’s ability to further attack and extort victims,” The State Department said this in a press release. “We will continue to work with allies and partners to disrupt and deter ransomware actors who threaten the backbone of our economies and critical infrastructure.”