DThe United States has offered a bounty of ten million dollars (about 8.6 million euros) for key leads in the search for the leaders of the hacker group Darkside. The US State Department said on Thursday (local time), it is about “protecting ransomware victims worldwide from exploitation by cybercriminals”. US Federal Police FBI Blames Darkside for several cyber attacks on US companies.

Attackers use what is known as ransomware, which is used to lock or encrypt computer systems in order to extort money from users in order to release data. The word includes the English word for ransom (“ransom”). Washington, among other things, blames a group allegedly operating from Russia for the attack on the colonial pipeline in May 2021.

Criminals are wanted around the world

The State Department also offered a $5 million reward for information that led to the arrests of those who participated in the attack on the Darkside — regardless of country.

There have been a number of spectacular ransomware attacks in the United States over the past few months. US President Joe Biden’s administration wants to take decisive action against such attacks and in October held a virtual summit with more than 30 states on the subject.