The US State Department today offered up to $10 million for information that could help link the Hive ransomware group (or other threat actors) to foreign governments.

In November, the The FBI revealed that this ransomware operation had extorted approximately $100 million from more than 1,500 companies since June 2021.

“If you have information that links Hive or any other malicious cyber actor targeting US critical infrastructure to a foreign government, send us your tip through our Tor Tip Line. You may be eligible for a reward,” the official said. State Department’s Rewards for Justice Twitter account. said.

“For information about the identification or location of anyone who, while acting under the direction of a foreign government, participates in malicious cyber activities against U.S. critical infrastructure in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act .”

“Send us your information on Signal, Telegram, WatshApp or through our Tor-based advice line.”

Over the past two years, the State Department has also offered rewards of up to $15 million for tips that could help locate members of the Conti [1, 2], REvil (Sodinokibi)and Dark side ransomware operations.

The Department of State offers these awards as part of its Transnational Organized Crime Awards Program (TOCRP), through which more than $135 million in rewards have been paid out since 1986.

Troubled after the FBI infiltrated Hive’s servers

This offer comes after Hive ransomware Tor websites seized today as part of an international law enforcement operation.

The Department of Justice revealed that the FBI infiltrated the Hive servers of a host in California last July and secretly monitored the operation for six months (Dutch police had access to backup servers hosted in the Netherlands ).

As a result, the FBI could warn targets as they learn of attacks before they happen and distribute over 1,300 decryption keys to Hive victims, saving them at least 130 millions of dollars in ransom payments.

Along with the decryption keys, the FBI also discovered Hive communication records, malicious file hashes, and information about 250 Hive affiliates.

The gang’s Tor payment and data leak sites now display an animated grab banner warning other ransomware gangs of this coordinated action and listing the law enforcement organizations and countries involved in this international takedown operation.

“This hidden site has been seized. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has seized this site as part of a coordinated law enforcement action against Hive Ransomware,” the seizure notice reads.

“This action was taken in coordination with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Intermediate District of Florida and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Department of Justice with substantial assistance from Europol.”