Russian-language cybercriminals are known for running similar competitions on underground forums. An analysis of Dark Web activity has uncovered a trend towards offering increasingly high-stakes prizes during such battles. A current hacking competition on the illicit forum known as XSS offers members the chance to win a share of $15,000 in return for original articles containing proof-of-concept videos or original code. The event has become an annual winter tradition, but Digital Shadows said that this year the prize levels soared.
Source: https://threatpost.com/sodinokibi-ransomware-hacking-contest/152422/