The US Offers a $10 Million Bounty For Intel On The Conti Ransomware Gang
SINCE THE CONTI ransomware strain emerged in 2020, its operators have caused havoc around the world. They have used it to cripple hospitals, attack governments, and extort countless businesses.
These criminal hackers have targeted more than 1,000 organizations, earning over $180 million last year alone.
Today, the Rewards for Justice mission is announcing new bounties of up to $10 million for anyone who provides useful information about individual members of Conti.
Specifically, details of five key members of the Conti group actors using the handles Professor, Reshaev, Tramp, Dandies, and Target.
Possible Identity Of Conti Member
Rewards for Justice has also published an alleged photo of the person believed to be Target.
In the picture, a middle-aged man is wearing a hat with ear flaps, a black T-shirt, and a dark-colored jacket.
It is one of the first times that the potential real-world identity of a member of the Conti gang has been publicly exposed.
A State Department official said Today marks the first time that the US government has publicly identified a Conti operative.
That photo is the first time the US government has ever identified a malicious actor associated with Conti.
Adding they are looking for information ranging from names of the individuals to their physical locations to their vacation and travel plans.
Conti Internal Conversations Leaked
Earlier this year, Conti’s innermost secrets were exposed by a Ukrainian cybersecurity researcher who published 60,000 of its internal messages.
The leaked information has been dubbed the Conti Files.
According to their leaked chats, they ask for holiday time off, are paid regularly, and are professional in their approach to extorting victims.
The leaks even showed that the group has tried to develop a cryptocurrency payments platform.
When Conti attacked the Costa Rican government earlier this year—disrupting more than 30,000 medical appointments—a separate $10 million reward was issued.
Conti is viewed as a national security threat because we believe, and we are seeking more information to confirm, that they are associated with a foreign government.
the state department official says Conti has been involved in malicious cyberactivity against critical infrastructures. We view them as a national security threat.
Besides, Conti has publicly acknowledged its connection with foreign governments, specifically its support of the Russian government.
