The U.S. Department of State has announced a $10 million reward for “information leading to the identification or location of any person who, while acting at the direction or under the control of a foreign government, participates in malicious cyber activities against U.S. critical infrastructure in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA).”

In particular, the State Department is looking for six officers of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU) for their roles in the criminal conspiracy to attack U.S. critical infrastructure by launching the NotPetya malware that caused U.S. businesses to lose close to $1 billion.

The six individuals are alleged to work for the GRU’s Unit 74455, also known as “Sandworm Team, Telebots, Voodoo Bear, and Iron Viking.” The State Department is encouraging those with information on the six individuals to contact it and to visit its reward website to learn more about the offer.

A surprising statistic is that, since its inception in 1984, the State Department’s Rewards for Justice program has paid more than $200 million to more than 100 people around the world who provided actionable information. This sharing of information is important to bring those who have committed crimes to justice and is profitable, too.

Photo of Linn Foster Freedman Linn Foster Freedman

Linn Freedman practices in data privacy and security law, cybersecurity, and complex litigation. She is a member of the Business Litigation Group and the Financial Services Cyber-Compliance Team, and chairs the firm’s Data Privacy and Security and Artificial Intelligence Teams. Linn focuses her…

Linn Freedman practices in data privacy and security law, cybersecurity, and complex litigation. She is a member of the Business Litigation Group and the Financial Services Cyber-Compliance Team, and chairs the firm’s Data Privacy and Security and Artificial Intelligence Teams. Linn focuses her practice on compliance with all state and federal privacy and security laws and regulations. She counsels a range of public and private clients from industries such as construction, education, health care, insurance, manufacturing, real estate, utilities and critical infrastructure, marine and charitable organizations, on state and federal data privacy and security investigations, as well as emergency data breach response and mitigation. Linn is an Adjunct Professor of the Practice of Cybersecurity at Brown University and an Adjunct Professor of Law at Roger Williams University School of Law.  Prior to joining the firm, Linn served as assistant attorney general and deputy chief of the Civil Division of the Attorney General’s Office for the State of Rhode Island. She earned her J.D. from Loyola University School of Law and her B.A., with honors, in American Studies from Newcomb College of Tulane University. She is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Read her full rc.com bio here.