US declared state of emergency after Cyber Attack on pipeline

A cyber-criminal gang that took a major US fuel pipeline offline over the weekend has acknowledged the incident in a public statement. The US issued emergency legislation after Colonial Pipeline was hit by a ransomware cyber-attack.

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It was hit by what Colonial called a ransomware attack, in which hackers typically lock up computer systems by encrypting data, paralyzing networks, and then demand a large ransom to unscramble it.

Two people close to the investigation, speaking on condition of anonymity, identified the culprit as DarkSide.

Ransomware is a form of malware that encrypts a victim’s files. The attacker then demands a ransom from the victim to restore access to the data upon payment. Users are shown instructions for how to pay a fee to get the decryption key.

DarkSide is a hacking group believed to be behind the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack, as part of its Robin Hood style image of stealing from the rich and giving a portion to the poor.