The U.S. government is offering monetary rewards for information about Conti's leaders, affiliates and operators.
Many of the top ransomware groups in 2021 have disappeared, while several new groups have emerged with high levels of activity.
A March 17 BlackCat ransomware incident revealed how the attackers are working to speed up the process of encryption using a new communication protocol.
Since its emergence in November, the BlackCat ransomware group has racked up at least 60 victims worldwide.
Researchers observed a "very messy attack" on a regional U.S. government agency where attackers lurked in the network for at least five months before ransomware was deployed.