$15m Bounty To Identify LockBit Bosses
A huge reward is being offered for information leading to the identification or location of any of the leaders of the LockBit ransomware gang.
The US Department of State is announcing reward offers totaling up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of any individual participating in a LockBit ransomware variant attack and for information leading to the identification and/or location of any key leaders of the LockBit ransomware group.
LockBit Has Attacked Over Of Victims
Since January 2020, LockBit actors have executed over 2,000 attacks against victims in the United States, and around the world, causing costly disruptions to operations and the destruction or exfiltration of sensitive information. More than $144 million in ransom payments have been made to recover from LockBit ransomware events.
The British National Crime Agency (NCA), the FBI, and others have collaborated on "Operation Cronos", which has taken over LockBit's backend infrastructure. Now, the LockBit leaks website is exposing the criminal group's operations instead of publishing stolen victim data.
According to reports, law enforcement agents were able to seize control of LockBit's infrastructure by exploiting a PHP vulnerability that LockBit's system administrators had failed to patch - similar to the tactics used by ransomware attackers.
The NCA has published screenshots of LockBit's exposed source code, backend administration panel, and redacted images of negotiations that have taken place between LockBit affiliates and their victims to prove the depth of its "pwning" of LockBit.
The good news is that the authorities had already had some success rounding up some individuals suspected of being part of the LockBit gang, even before the bounty was announced. This week a 38-year-old man was arrested in Poland, as well as a father and son in Ukraine.
Anyone with information about members of the LockBit criminal gang can contact the FBI for a potential reward via email, Telegram (@LockBitRewards), or Signal (+1-646-258-2533). Victims based in the US are advised to contact the FBI via lockbitvictims.ic3.gov.
Image: maxkabakov
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