United States, July 19, 2021 /AlexaBlockchain/ – United States of America is struggling with the growing incidence of cyber threats and it has now adopted the tried and tested method to offer bounty to catch criminals. It has now announced to offer a reward of up to US$10 million to any person who can help with the crucial tips on cyber threats, such as the name of the person/ agency/ country, location, etc.
The U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program, which is administered by the Diplomatic Security Service, is offering the reward for crucial tips 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).
Dark Web and Cryptocurrency To Maintain Secrecy Of The Informer
The RFJ program has set up a Tor-based Dark Web tips-reporting channel to protect the safety and security of potential informers.
The dark web enables users to maintain high level of privacy while browsing online content or expressing their views. This is achieved by the inherited features of dark web which prohibits conventional search engines to index activities on this platform. Specific browsers, such as Tor Browser, are required to access the dark web.
The RFJ program is also working with interagency partners to enable the rapid processing of information as well as the possible relocation of and payment of rewards to sources. Interestingly, the department also said that the reward payments may include payments in cryptocurrency.
Commenting on this news, Ravi Kumar, Senior Market Analyst at AlexaBlockchain, said:
“I think we have come a long way from the time when every country used to declare Bitcoin and cryptos as a tool to shield illegitimate activities like money laundering, terrorist financing and tax evasion, and many such things to a point when the most powerful and democratic country on the planet finds it apt to use it officially. Yes, it’s official, … addressing global citizens, … openly in the public domain, … and not a secret deal.”
“It is really a big change in the perception and acceptance, and it is giving a strong signal to the world that Bitcoin and cryptos are real things, and have a significant purpose.”
US Is Prime Target Of International Cyberattacks
US is prime target of international cyberattacks, accounting for more than 50% of total cyberattacks globally. These cyberattacks usually originate from outside the US and performed by other countries as well as organizations.
A growing number of cyberattacks have occurred on US businesses, local governments, and public systems since the start of 2021.
According to experts, these attacks usually originate from outside the US, in countries like Russia, China, and North Korea. US President Joe Biden earlier this year placed sanctions on Russia for its involvement in the attack on SolarWinds, which was reported last year.
In recent incidents, including CNA Financial Group ransomware attack, Microsoft’s Exchange Server email software, Turning Point Clinic, The Union Community Schools District, New York’s metro authority, The Alaska court system, Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack, and Tulsa’s computer systems espionage attack, there were three kinds of major cyberattacks: ransomware attacks, espionage attacks, and email compromise attacks.
Cyberattacks can be a big threat to national security apart from monetary losses and disruption of day-to-day activities. This is why, the US government is worried about these cyber threats. However, the most technologically advanced country on the planet is struggling to devise an effective solution to overcome this never-ending problem. And, probably this is the reason it has now decided to adopt the tried and tested method to offer bounty in exchange of crucial tips to catch criminals.
