Hackers Behind Colonial Pipeline Have Made $90 Million In Bitcoin From 47 Victims In The Past Nine Months

 

CNBC: Hackers behind Colonial Pipeline attack reportedly received $90 million in bitcoin before shutting down 

 * DarkSide, the hacker group behind the Colonial ransomware attack, received $90 million in bitcoin ransom payments, according to blockchain sleuths Elliptic. 

* The cybercriminal gang shut down last week after losing access to its servers and as its cryptocurrency wallets were emptied. 

 * Elliptic said DarkSide’s bitcoin wallet contained $5.3 million worth of the digital currency before its funds were drained. 

LONDON — DarkSide, the hacker group behind the recent Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack, received a total of $90 million in bitcoin ransom payments before shutting down last week, according to new research. 

Colonial Pipeline was hit with a devastating cyberattack earlier this month that forced the company to shut down approximately 5,500 miles of pipeline in the United States, crippling gas delivery systems in Southeastern states. The FBI blamed the attack on DarkSide, a cybercriminal gang believed to be based in Eastern Europe, and Colonial reportedly paid a $5 million ransom to the group. 

DarkSide operates what’s known as a “ransomware as a service” business model, meaning the hackers develop and market ransomware tools and sell them to other criminals who then carry out attacks. Ransomware is a type of malicious software that’s designed to block access to a computer system. Hackers demand a ransom payment — typically cryptocurrency — in return for restoring access.  

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WNU Editor: This is just one group .... and they are probably just the tip of the iceberg.

Update: So much for paying these hackers off. Problems at Colonial Pipeline continue .... Colonial Pipeline Admits Shippers' Comms System Is "Experiencing Network Issues" (Zero Hedge).