Cybersecurity has made significant progress in identifying malicious infrastructure, detecting attack techniques, and disrupting active campaigns. And yet, the individuals directing those campaigns often remain beyond the reach of law enforcement. That’s because they operate across jurisdictions, hide their identities behind online aliases, and rely on the silence of people who may know who they are.

The Cybercrime Bounty program, an initiative from Crime Stoppers International and Fortinet, is designed to fill this gap. It combines Crime Stoppers International’s trusted anonymous reporting system with threat intelligence from Fortinet’s FortiGuard Labs to collect, assess, verify, and route actionable intelligence about cybercriminals to law enforcement.

Today, we are announcing several key milestones in the program’s development. The anonymous reporting channel is now operational, the process for validating and escalating submitted intelligence has been established, and the program’s first live bounty has been posted and launched on CSI’s platform.

Introducing Operation Silent Vector I

Cybercriminals operate behind anonymity; this cybercrime bounty program pulls that mask off. The cybercrime bounty aims to “Unmask the dark.”  Unmask the dark is the mission behind Operation Silent Vector, identifying the individuals and groups operating behind cybercrime and bringing greater accountability to the people responsible for digital attacks. The inaugural bounty, Operation Silent Vector I, seeks information on the individuals behind INC ransomware, a Ransomware-as-a-Service group that emerged in 2023.

FortiGuard Labs classifies INC as a financially driven threat actor that has targeted organizations across multiple sectors and regions. Its operators and affiliates have employed ransomware to encrypt systems, exfiltrate sensitive data, and intimidate victims by threatening to publicize information. Additionally, FortiGuard Labs research reveals technical similarities between INC’s ransomware and that linked to the recently observed Lynx group.

Operation Silent Vector I is an appeal for information based on published, open-source threat intelligence. The objective is to generate actionable intelligence to help authorized law enforcement agencies identify, investigate, and ultimately hold these cybercriminals accountable.

Individuals with relevant information can submit it anonymously through Crime Stoppers International’s reporting system. FortiGuard Labs will review and verify submitted intelligence before forwarding it to law enforcement. Financial rewards may be provided for qualifying information that leads to an arrest or other material law enforcement outcome.

Extending Threat Intelligence Beyond Infrastructure

Traditional cyberthreat intelligence provides vital insights into indicators of compromise, attacker infrastructure, malware families, and tactics, techniques, and procedures. This data enables organizations to detect threats, enhance their defenses, and respond more efficiently to incidents.

However, technical indicators are only one part of the intelligence picture. Infrastructure can be replaced, malware can be modified, and criminal groups can reorganize under new names. More durable disruption requires information on the human networks behind these operations, including their identities, roles, relationships, financial structures, and coordination methods.

Relevant intelligence may exist within criminal communities, among former associates, inside affected industries, or within the security research community. Until now, there has been no broadly accessible global mechanism that combines anonymous reporting, financial incentives, threat-intelligence validation, and established pathways to law enforcement.

The Cybercrime Bounty program creates that mechanism. It provides a structured and lawful way for individuals to share information without being asked to investigate suspects, contact criminal actors, or place themselves at risk.

An Operational Model Built Around Trust

This program is deliberately distinct from both a traditional bug bounty and a consumer scam-reporting service. Bug bounties reward researchers for identifying vulnerabilities in software and products. The Cybercrime Bounty program seeks intelligence about the people responsible for criminal operations.

Similarly, the reporting channel is not meant for victims of fraud, ransomware, or online scams to report their cases. Instead, victims should reach out to their local law enforcement, consumer protection agencies, or designated cybercrime reporting centers. The bounty program is designed for individuals who have information that could assist in identifying or locating the perpetrators and their networks.

Crime Stoppers International has operated anonymous reporting programs since 1976. The Cybercrime Bounty program now extends that model to the cyber domain and adds the technical expertise needed to evaluate complex threat intelligence. Crime Stoppers International operates the reporting channel and protects the privacy and integrity of the tipster process, while FortiGuard Labs provides threat-research expertise to assess the relevance and credibility of submitted information, while also correlating intelligence.

A bounty is paid only when information satisfies the program’s qualification requirements and contributes to an arrest or other material law-enforcement outcome. Because investigations can take time, each bounty remains open for 12 months from the date it is posted unless otherwise specified.

Moving from Defense to Accountability

Operation Silent Vector I represents more than the launch of a single bounty. It marks the transition of the Cybercrime Bounty program from concept to active operation, with a named target, a live anonymous reporting channel, a defined validation process, and a framework for supporting law-enforcement action.

Although technical defenses remain crucial, the growing scale of cybercrime now demands additional disruption strategies. Disrupting infrastructure can halt an attack, but targeting the individuals who develop, fund, lead, and profit from cybercrime often produces longer-lasting results.

The launch of Operation Silent Vector I  puts that principle into practice. It also sends a clear message to cybercriminals who have treated anonymity as a permanent shield: The people around you know who you are, and they now have a secure, and potentially rewarding, way to share that information. Let’s unmask the dark.

Learn more about Operation Silent Vector I or submit relevant information.