Colonial Pipeline confirms it paid $4.4M to hackers

[SouthBayDem]

Source: Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — The operator of the nation’s largest fuel pipeline confirmed it paid $4.4 million to a gang of hackers who broke into its computer systems.

Colonial Pipeline said Wednesday that after it learned of the May 7 ransomware attack, the company took its pipeline system offline and needed to do everything in its power to restart it quickly and safely, and made the decision then to pay the ransom.

“This decision was not made lightly,” but it was one that had to be made, a company spokesman said. “Tens of millions of Americans rely on Colonial – hospitals, emergency medical services, law enforcement agencies, fire departments, airports, truck drivers and the traveling public.”

Colonial Pipeline’s CEO, Joseph Blount, told The Wall Street Journal he authorized the payment because the company didn’t know the extent of the damage and wasn’t sure how long it would take to bring the pipeline’s systems back.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/hacking-technology-business-ed1556556c7af6220e6990978ab4f745

[ananda]

1. I thought the hackers were blocked from the money the next day.

...

[OneCrazyDiamond]

2. and it still took 5 days to start up again.

I don't know if this is true, but if so, kinda poopy

https://jalopnik.com/the-colonial-pipeline-was-fine-but-it-was-shutdown-to-1846911689
The cyber attack that shutdown the Colonial pipeline causing a gas panic and stoking fears of gasoline shortages, didn’t actually shut down the pipeline. It impacted the billing system at the Colonial Pipeline Co., which shut it down because they were worried about how they’d collect payments.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

4. This 👆👆👆👆👆👆👆👆

[marble falls]

3. Colonial shut the pipeline down. I hope people star suing Colonial for damages. The hackers ...

... stole business records and locked computers and never had control of the valves and pipeline.