The US State Department will pay $10 million for information that could identify “key leaders” of the group behind the Conti ransomware. Authorities will also pay $5 million for information leading to the arrest of individuals linked to the hackers.
According to State Department spokesman Ned Price, Conti operators are responsible for “hundreds of incidents” involving the crypto-virus. Price said:
By January 2022, the FBI estimated there were more than 1,000 victims of Conti-related attacks. Payouts to victims have exceeded $150 million, making Conti the most successful ransomware virus ever recorded.
He also added that in April 2022 the Costa Rican government suffered a cyberattack using Conti – customs and tax services were disrupted.
Recall that in January 2022, Taiwan-based Delta Electronics, a contractor for Apple and Tesla, was attacked by hackers using a ransomware malware virus. The media reported that the responsibility may belong to Conti operators.