Tag: DarkSide

U.S. recovers millions in cryptocurrency paid to Colonial Pipeline hackers

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U.S. investigators have recovered $2.3 million worth of cryptocurrency paid as a ransom to the cybercrime group responsible for the attack that shut down Colonial Pipeline last month, the Justice Department announced Monday.

Driving the news: Colonial Pipeline CEO Joseph Blount told the Wall Street Journal he authorized a $4.4 million ransom payment to the DarkSide cybercrime group on May 7th in an attempt to restore service of the largest refined fuel pipeline in the U.S.

  • The company, however, had notified the FBI and followed instructions to help U.S. investigators track the payment, CNN reported. Continue reading.

Colonial Pipeline aims to be “substantially” back online by end of week

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The FBI confirmed in a statement Monday that a professional cybercriminal group called DarkSide was responsible for a ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline network, which provides roughly 45% of the fuel used on the East Coast.

The latest: Colonial said in a statement at 12:25pm ET on Monday that segments of the pipeline are being brought back online in a “stepwise fashion,” with the goal of “substantially restoring operational service by the end of the week.”

  • White House officials said at a press briefing that the FBI has been investigating the DarkSide ransomware since October of last year. Continue reading.