FBI says Russia cyber creeps behind ga$ attack
The FBI confirmed Monday that a gang of hackers known as “DarkSide” is behind the cyberattack that shut down a crucial US fuel pipeline and sent gas prices spiking — as its operator warned that the ongoing outage was “approaching critical levels.”
On the fourth day of the potentially devastating disruption, the FBI said its probe showed “that the Darkside ransomware is responsible for the compromise of the Colonial Pipeline networks.”
The pipeline — which carries about 45 percent of all the fuel for America’s East Coast — paused operations last week after its systems were hit by the extortion attempt.
In a statement reportedly posted on DarkSide’s Web site, the group — which is believed to be based in Russia — claimed it was not tied to any government and its only goal is “to make money.”
“We are apolitical, we do not participate in geopolitics, do not need to tie us with a defined government and look for our motives,” said the statement.
During a White House briefing on Monday, Anne Neuberger, the deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technologies, described DarkSide as “a criminal actor.”
The Biden administration is not offering advice on whether the unspecified ransom should be paid, Neuberger said, calling that “typically . . . a private-sector decision.”
But she added, “Given the rise in ransomware, that is one area we’re definitely looking at now to say what should be the government’s approach to ransomware actors and to ransoms overall.”
The continuing shutdown of the pipeline — which typically carries more than 100 million gallons of fuel from Texas to New Jersey each day — raised concerns that local suppliers could run out of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.
The national average price of a gallon of gas jumped six cents to $2.96 on the week and is expected to keep rising, according to the American Automobile Association.
Another 3-cent per gallon increase would bring the price to its highest level since November 2014.
White House Homeland Security Adviser Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall said the Department of Energy was analyzing “potential supply disruptions and what price effects that could have” as a result of the pipeline shutdown.
“Right now there are no supply disruptions and . . . we’re working with other agencies to consider how, if necessary, we can move supplies to a place where it might be needed if it turns out that there is a shortfall,” Sherwood-Randall added.
The pipeline’s operator, IHS Markit, said Monday that it hoped to have service largely restored by the end of the week, but warned that prices would rise otherwise, according to The Associated Press.
DarkSide is known to extort cash from corporations and give a cut to charity, The Associated Press reported, citing sources familiar with the federal investigation.