The US Offers $10 million Bounty on the Conti Ransom group

The US State Department is offering a $10 million reward for information leading to the identification or location of individuals associated with the infamous Conti ransomware gang. Another $5 million reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest or conviction of a Conti member.

In a statement, the State Department spokesman said the group was behind hundreds of ransomware attacks in the past two years: “The FBI estimates that as of January 2022, there were more than 1,000 victims of Conti ransomware-related attacks, with payouts victims amounted to more than $150 million, making the Conti ransomware variant the most expensive ransomware strain ever documented,” said Price.

Conti was also blamed for attacking the Costa Rican government during the transition to the new president. The attack crippled the country’s customs and tax platforms, as well as several other government agencies. In May 2021, Conti attacked the Irish health authority, causing weeks of disruption in the country’s hospitals.

Ireland refused to pay the $20 million ransom and now estimates it will eventually spend $100 million to recover from the attack. The group similarly closed dozens of hospitals in New Zealand, targeting primarily U.S. healthcare and emergency response networks in the past year, including law enforcement agencies, emergency medical services, 911 dispatchers, and communities, the FBI said.

The US is behind these malicious code spreaders

The State Department offered a $10 million reward in November for information leading to the identification and/or arrest of members of the Darkside ransomware group and operators of the REvil (Sodinokibi) group. Program around the Conti Group added.