Incident Details
The Department of State has revealed a reward of up to $10,000,000 for details that lead to identifying and locating individuals in key leadership roles within the criminal group responsible for the Hive ransomware variant. Additionally, a reward of up to $5,000,000 is being offered for information that results in the arrest or conviction of individuals involved in planning or carrying out Hive ransomware attacks in any country.
The Hive ransomware variant targeted victims across more than 80 countries, including the United States. By the end of July 2022, the FBI successfully infiltrated Hive's computer networks, acquired the decryption keys, and provided them to victims globally, preventing ransom payments totaling up to $130 million.
This recent announcement coincides with the Department of Justice's joint operation with Europol, German and Dutch authorities, and the United States Secret Service, which took control of Hive's servers and websites, disrupting their ability to launch further attacks and extort victims.
Collaboration with international partners and allies will persist in the effort to disrupt and discourage ransomware perpetrators who pose a threat to our economies and critical infrastructure.
The reward falls under the Department of State's Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP), which aids global law enforcement in combating transnational crime and bringing criminals to justice.
Incident
How Did the Breach Happen?
The breach occurred as a result of the Hive ransomware variant that focused on victims in more than 80 countries, which included the United States.
What Data has been Compromised?
The disclosed information does not specify the exact data that has been compromised.
Why Did the company's Security Measures Fail?
The details provided do not specify any particular instances of security measures failing.
What Immediate Impact Did the Breach Have on the company?
The information given does not specify the immediate consequences of the breach.
How could this have been prevented?
Preventive measures to address this breach were not specified in the information provided.
What have we learned from this data breach?
The details outlining the insights gained from this breach are not included in the information provided.
Summary of Coverage
A reward has been issued by the Department of State for details that could help in finding the individuals connected to the Hive ransomware variant transnational organized crime group. This specific ransomware variant targeted victims across various countries, and thanks to the efforts of the FBI, decryption keys were obtained to halt ransom payments by victims. In addition to this, control of Hive's servers and websites has been taken over by the Department of Justice and other relevant authorities. This reward forms a part of the Department of State's Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program.