
Layoffs Looming as U.S. Steel Indefinitely Idles Granite City Facility
U.S. Steel has announced the indefinite idling of primary operations at its Granite City, Illinois, facility, which is expected to result in significant …
May 19, 2021: -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 fresh 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, 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 in return for restoring access.
On Friday, London-based blockchain analytics firm Elliptic said it had identified the bitcoin wallet used by DarkSide to collect ransom payments from its victims. That same day, security researchers Intel 471 said DarkSide had closed down after losing access to its servers and as its cryptocurrency wallets were emptied. DarkSide also blamed “pressure from the U.S.,” according to a note obtained by Intel 471.
In a new blog post Tuesday, Elliptic said DarkSide and its affiliates bagged at least $90 million in bitcoin ransom payments, originating from 47 different cryptocurrency wallets. The average payment from organizations was likely $1.9 million, Elliptic said.
“To our knowledge, this analysis includes all payments made to DarkSide, however further transactions may yet be uncovered, and the figures here should be considered a lower bound,” said Tom Robinson Elliptic’s co-founder and chief scientist.
Elliptic said that DarkSide’s bitcoin wallet contained $5.3 million worth of the digital currency before its funds were drained last week. There was some speculation that this bitcoin had been seized by the U.S. government.
Of the $90 million total haul, $15.5 million went to DarkSide’s developer while $74.7 million went to its affiliates, according to Elliptic. The majority of the funds are being sent to crypto exchanges, where they can be converted into fiat money, Elliptic said.
The Colonial Pipeline hack was one of a spate of ransomware attacks to generate headlines last week. A division of Japanese conglomerate Toshiba said its European unit had been hacked, blaming the attack on DarkSide, while Ireland’s health service was also hit by a ransomware attack. On Wednesday, President Joe Biden signed an executive order aimed at strengthening U.S. cybersecurity defenses.
We provide the insights on leaders who are responsible for taking their organization to new heights, all the while bringing together a group of talented individuals.
U.S. Steel has announced the indefinite idling of primary operations at its Granite City, Illinois, facility, which is expected to result in significant …
Sembcorp Industries Ltd., a Singapore-based energy company, has acquired more than 200 MW of operational wind power assets from Leap Green …
The Trusts, a community-owned liquor monopoly in West Auckland, is facing a strategic review of its $40 million expansion …
Paycor’s human capital management (HCM) platform modernizes every aspect of people management, from recruiting, onboarding, and payroll to career development and retention, but what really sets us apart is our focus on leaders.
In today’s day and age, there are numerous reports of increasing anxiety levels, low motivation, and exhaustion. But have we ever thought that the people struggling with those problems are the same people showing up to work at various organizations? This is not about a few employees just having a bad day.
HiBob is at the forefront of HR innovation, transforming the way organizations operate in the modern world of work with its award-winning HCM ‘Bob’. Its modular approach caters to the needs of multinational companies seeking agile technology and robust analytics to support operations across distributed workforces in the ever-evolving economic and workplace landscape.