The United States announced on Thursday, Nov.4 that it is offering a $10 million reward for those who can disclose details about the DarkSide hackers. The authorities are now on the hunt to catch the Russian cybercriminals who have been carrying out ransomware attacks across the globe.
US Wants to Seize DarkSide Ransomware Gang
WOODBRIDGE, NEW JERSEY - MAY 10: Fuel holding tanks are seen at Colonial Pipeline's Linden Junction Tank Farm on May 10, 2021 in Woodbridge, New Jersey. Alpharetta, Georgia-based Colonial Pipeline, which has the largest fuel pipeline, was forced to shut down its oil and gas pipeline system on Friday after a ransomware attack that has slowed down the transportation of oil in the eastern U.S. On Sunday, the federal government announced an emergency declaration that extends through June 8th and can be renewed. On Monday, the FBI confirmed that the cyberattack was carried out by DarkSide, a cybercrime gang believed to operate out of Russia.
According to a recent report by Reuters, the State department of the country was hell-bent to identify the location and the identity of the individuals behind the DarkSide group.
The executive department added that besides the $10-million reward, it will also give $5 million to the affiliate who will coordinate for the arrest of the suspects.
The notorious organization of Russian scammers is also the same group that launched the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack back in May. The hacking persisted for several days which resulted in the closure of the largest pipeline system in the US.
The authorities have been keen on the conviction of the hackers. The members are said to be experts in carrying out cyber-extortion incidents, as well as system encryption and data-stealing strategies.
The most common tactic that the group does is demanding a ransom from the victim in exchange for an encryption key. Later, DarkSide will agree to store the further details kept in the company.
"In offering this reward, the United States demonstrates its commitment to protecting ransomware victims around the world from exploitation by cybercriminals. 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," the department said in a report by ZDNet.
Besides commercial industries, the DarkSide crew was also involved in the data breach that hit famous American clothing brand Guess. At that time, many employees and customers feared that their sensitive information would be exposed to the public.
BlackMatter Ransomware Shut Down
The revamped DarkSide which is called "BlackMatter" ransomware has reportedly closed following the extreme pressure put by legal authorities.
The cybersecurity experts from Emsisoft discovered erroneous coding done by the criminals. To help the victims get out of the loophole, the researchers gave them free access to the decryption tools.
Soon, the security analysts found out that BlackMatter is a reincarnation of DarkSide. The investigation further said that the group is still operating in limited numbers. The silent scheme reached even the health facilities and agricultural sectors.
Most Unforgettable Ransomware Attacks This Year
This week, Tech Times wrote a listicle about the most influential cyber attacks that happened so far in 2021. Besides the Colonial Pipeline attack, we also included the Kaseya cyberattack and the JBS data breach.
Apart from this list, we also shared important tips that you can follow to slow down these kinds of attacks. There are five ways that ISACA.org wrote for this reminder.
First, the site recommended that users should always have a backup for their files. It also suggested the use of ransomware-detecting software and updating all of their apps frequently.
To add, it's also good to conduct training for the employees and regularly monitor the system regarding this matter.
Related Article: Russia Uninvited to White House Big Meeting About Fighting Ransomware | 30 Nations and the EU Present
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Written by Joseph Henry
