According to a person close to the investigation, the cyberattack attempt that has forced the shutdown of a vital gasoline and diesel pipeline was carried out by a criminal gang known as DarkSide.
The Georgia-based Colonial Pipeline carries gasoline and other fuel from Texas to the Northeast. According to the company, it delivers roughly 45% of the fuel consumed on the East Coast. Colonial suggests the pipeline was hit by a ransomware attack, in which hackers typically lock up computer systems by encrypting data, followed by the demand for a large ransom to release it. A person close to the investigation established the culprit as DarkSide. It’s among ransomware gangs that have “professionalized” a criminal industry, costing western nations tens of billions of dollars in losses in the past three years.
However, DarkSide claimed that it does not attack medical, educational, or government targets. DarkSide neither announced the attack on its dark website nor responded to an Associated Press reporter’s questions. In the meantime, the Biden administration has said an “all-hands-on-deck” effort is underway to restore operations and avoid disruptions in the fuel supply.
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ARTICLE: GABRIELLA ANTOS
POLITICS EDITOR: CARSON CHOATE
PHOTO CREDITS: KFOR – OKLAHOMA CITY
