US State Department offers $10 million reward for info on Hive ransomware group

The United States State Department is offering rewards of up to $10 million for valuable information that could lead to the identification, location, or arrest of members associated with the Hive ransomware gang.

Additionally, they announced a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of individuals involved in Hive ransomware activities worldwide.

The Hive ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operation emerged in June 2021, gaining notoriety for breaching organisations through phishing campaigns, exploiting vulnerabilities in internet-exposed devices, and utilising purchased credentials. According to reports from the FBI, the Hive ransomware group has amassed approximately $100 million through extortion from more than 1,300 companies spanning across over 80 countries between June 2021 and November 2022.

This initiative follows previous actions by the US government, which in January 2023, announced rewards of up to $10 million for tips connecting Hive ransomware (or other similar threat groups). In a similar vein, the State Department has previously put forth bounties of up to $15 million for information regarding the whereabouts of members associated with ransomware operations such as Clop, Conti, REvil (Sodinokibi), and Darkside. These reward programs are facilitated through the Transnational Organised Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP), which has seen over $135 million disbursed for valuable tips since its inception in 1986.