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The U.S. State Department has announced a $10 million reward for information on the key members of Hive, a ransomware gang. The group has generated over $100 million in cyberattacks; targeting hospitals, schools, and institutions around the world.
In 2022, a 314-bed hospital in Louisiana was attacked. Hive stole personal data from almost 270,00 patient records. The previous year, a Midwest hospital had to turn away patients (during the COVID-19 outbreak) due to a Hive ransomware attack.
The FBI managed to shut down Hive after infiltrating the gang in 2022, preventing at least $130 million in ransom attacks. It’s still not clear how widespread the Hive network is. Or what they might have access to. More than 1,500 facilities in over 80 countries have been targeted by Hive. Secure voting and protective data measures are a global concern; after all, this is an election year in 50 countries.
The U.S. Department of State has effectively coordinated with Europol, along with Dutch and German authorities to disrupt computer networks used by Hive. In 2023, a Russian national was arrested in Paris for acting as a banker on behalf of the ransomware gang.
An additional $5 Million has also been offered for information on any individual involved with Hive. Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco has asserted, “We will continue to strike back against cybercrime using any means possible and place victims at the center of our efforts to mitigate the cyber threat.”
