Colonial Pipeline Reportedly Paid DarkSide Attackers $5 Million to Decrypt Files
Verizon DBIR says that small businesses and large businesses increasingly face same threats, FBI warns that gangs are using search results and search engine ads to lure victims to phishing sites, more
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Contradicting earlier reports that it had no intention of paying the ransom demanded by the Eastern European ransomware gang DarkSide, Colonial Pipeline reportedly paid the attackers $5 million in untraceable cryptocurrency within hours of the attack to restore its pipeline services, according to sources familiar with the transaction.
Once they received payment, the hackers reportedly provided Colonial with a decrypting tool to restore its disabled computer network. The tool was so slow that the company continued using its own backups to help restore the system, sources say. Colonial Pipeline did not respond to requests for comment regarding this re…
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