The US is offering a $10m reward to anyone who dobs in digital outlaws responsible for foreign government-backed cyberattacks on critical national infrastructure such as pipelines, power grids, and communication networks.
The cash incentive is part of the US State Department’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) programme and the ongoing war on cybercrime that has in recent months crippled fuel pipelines and meat production.
Since it was launched in 1984, the RFJ has paid some $200m to more than 100 informants across the world who have passed on titbits concerning national security.
Last month, President Joe Biden and Russia’s Vladimir Putin spent some of their time during a summit in Switzerland discussing cybersecurity and the threats posed to critical national infrastructure including energy and water.