Security News > 2022 > May > US offers $15m reward for information about Conti ransomware gang

The US government is offering up to $15 million for information about key leaders of the notorious Conti ransomware group and any individual participating in an attack using a variant of Conti's malware.

In its notice issued May 6, the US Department of State said the Conti ransomware variant was the costliest strain of ransomware on record, noting that as of January, there were more than 1,000 victims of attack that involved Conti ransomware, with payouts surpassing $150 million.

The reward illustrates the US' efforts to drive a global response to the ongoing problem of ransomware and shows the country's "Commitment to protecting potential ransomware victims around the world from exploitation by cyber criminals," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

"Like most ransomware variants, Conti typically steals victims' files and encrypts the servers and workstations in an effort to force a ransomware payment from the victim," the FBI wrote.

In its alert, the State Department offered a reward of up to $10 million for information about the identification and location of key leadership in the Conti gang and up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of individuals in any country participating or trying to participate in a Conti ransomware incident.

Like REvil, Conti is a ransomware-as-a-service operator, in that they develop the code and make it available on the market for others to use, enabling less-skilled operators to more easily launch sophisticated ransomware attacks.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2022/05/09/us-reward-conti-ransomware/