The U.S. State Department on Thursday announced a $10 million reward in the hunt for leaders of the group believed to be responsible for the May 7 ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline.
The reward will be paid to anyone offering information “leading to the identification or location” of key leaders in the DarkSide group, what investigators say is a Russia-based gang of cybercriminals.
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The department is also offering a reward offer of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction in any country of any individual conspiring to participate in a DarkSide incident.
The ransomware attack led to the Georgia-based company’s decision to temporarily shut down the 5,500-mile pipeline, which partially runs through Alabama, carrying 45 percent of the fuel used on the East Coast. The shutdown triggered panic gasoline buying that temporarily depleted service stations east of the Mississippi for days.
The company decided soon after the attack to pay ransom of 75 bitcoin, then valued at roughly $4.4 million. Though the FBI has historically discouraged ransomware payments for fear of encouraging cyberattacks, Colonial officials have said they saw the transaction as necessary to resume the vital fuel transport business as rapidly as possible.
In June, the Justice Department announced that investigators had recovered millions of dollars in ransom money.
“In offering this reward, the United States demonstrates its commitment to protecting ransomware victims around the world from exploitation by cyber criminals,” the department said in an announcement. “The United States looks to nations who harbor ransomware criminals that are willing to bring justice for those victim businesses and organizations affected by ransomware.”