Security News > 2020 > January > Sodinokibi Ransomware Group Sponsors Hacking Contest

A current hacking competition on the illicit forum known as XSS offers members the chance to win a share of $15,000 in return for original articles containing proof-of-concept videos or original code, according to a Digital Shadows report, released on Thursday.

In the past, competitions on underground forums offered much smaller prize winnings and also focused on lighthearted challenges meant to build community, rather than hacking prowess.

Digital Shadows said that the site administrators also announced that most "Suitable" competition finalist would be given the ability to collaborate with the Sodinokibi team for everyone's mutual benefit.

Of course, the winnings in these underground contests are eclipsed by above-board hacking competitions - like the $25,000 per-exploit prizes given out at the recent Pwn2Own Miami.

"After all, helping the development of the forum is one of the major drivers behind organizing competitions: Cybercriminal forums need to attract and retain members in order to survive, and being able to present a site as a valuable repository of articles discussing pertinent cybercriminal issues is a real draw."

News URL

https://threatpost.com/sodinokibi-ransomware-hacking-contest/152422/