Washington (AFP)

The United States on Thursday pledged rewards of up to $ 10 million in exchange for information about hackers carrying out attacks on critical US infrastructure on behalf of a foreign government.

The State Department, which oversees this program, said in a statement that it had specifically created a dedicated space on the "dark web", the clandestine version of the Internet, "in order to protect the security of sources" which "may be paid. in cryptocurrencies ".

"We encourage anyone with information about malicious cyber activity against critical US infrastructure (...) under the direction or control of a foreign government" to use this site, writes the ministry.

The information should relate to "threats of extortion in connection with ransomware attacks" or the intrusion into "protected computers", including those belonging to the United States government or financial institutions, "with the aim of obtaining information "and" to cause damage ".

They should also make it possible to "locate or identify" the pirates.

Cyber ​​attacks have become a major concern in the United States after a series of "ransomware" attacks, malicious programs that encrypt their target's data and often demand millions of dollars in exchange for the decryption key.

They paralyzed hospitals, town halls and many companies, including the operator of a giant oil pipeline, showing the fragility of American infrastructures in the face of these attacks, often attributed to Russian-speaking hackers or acting from Russia.

During a summit in Geneva with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Poutine, US President Joe Biden had set red lines, namely a list of 16 "untouchable" entities, particularly in the field of energy or water distribution , promising to act if they were crossed.

The Ministries of Homeland Security and Justice also announced Thursday the creation of a website, accessible to all this time, StopRansomware.gov, which compiles data to help businesses and communities protect themselves and respond to ransomware attacks.

The Minister of Justice Merrick Garland, quoted in a press release, stressed that his teams "were using all the tools at their disposal to face the threat".

But, he added, "we cannot do it alone, it is essential that business leaders in all industries realize the danger."

© 2021 AFP