US Offers $10 Million for Information on 6 Russian Military Hackers
Carrying out cyber attacks using ransomware on US infrastructure has earned six Russian military intelligence officers a price on their heads.
The US Department of State is offering a reward of up to $10 million through the Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program for information on six officers of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU).
The officers in question are Yuriy Sergeyevich Andrienko, Sergey Vladimirovich Detistov, Pavel Valeryevich Frolov, Anatoliy Sergeyevich Kovalev, Artem Valeryevich Ochichenko, and Petr Nikolayevich Pliskin. They all work in the GRU's Unit 74455, which is also referred to by cybersecurity researchers as Sandworm Team, Telebots, Voodoo Bear, and Iron Viking.
Their crimes relate to the June 27, 2017 NotPetya ransomware attack, which locked down computers worldwide and damaged the computers of a medical facility in western Pennsylvania, a US pharmaceutical manufacturer, and several US private entities. The attack cost nearly $1 billion in total losses.
The US charged these Russian officers with "conspiracy to conduct computer fraud and abuse, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, damaging protected computers, and aggravated identity theft," back in October 2020. Since then, no way has been found to locate and extradite them to receive their punishment on US soil, so the public is being called upon to help in return for a very healthy reward.
Anyone who has information on the intelligence officers is asked to visit the RFJ website to "submit a tip." Alternatively, contact RFJ via the Tor-based tips-reporting channel at: he5dybnt7sr6cm32xt77pazmtm65flqy6irivtflruqfc5ep7eiodiad.onion (Tor browser required).
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