The State Department is offering a $10 million reward for information that may lead to the identification or location of individuals who hold a leadership position in the Conti ransomware group, which has been known to target hospitals and the healthcare industry.
Federal agencies warned healthcare organizations about the increased use of Conti ransomware, which is known for stealing files, encrypting servers and demanding a ransom payment.
In 2021, an analysis from the CyberPeace Institute revealed that the group had completed more than 15 attacks on the healthcare sector.
Six things to know:
- As of January 2022, Conti has compromised 1,000 victims.
- Conti ransomware group victim payouts have exceeded $150 million.
- The Conti ransomware variant is the costliest strain of ransomware ever documented.
- In April, the group conducted a ransomware incident that impacted the foreign trade of the Government of Costa Rica.
- The State Department is also offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of any individual conspiring to participate in or attempting to participate in a Conti variant ransomware incident.
- On Feb. 25 the ransomware group announced its support of Russia and threatened enemies of the government if they responded to the country's invasion of Ukraine.