Crime pays (!)

To post in this sub-forum you must have made 100 posts or have Trust status or have completed our ID Verification

Forums › Politics › Crime pays (!)

Rikkitic

Awrrr
19062 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 16302

Lifetime subscriber

#285741 14-May-2021 11:35

CNN is saying that the putative Russian hackers who turned off the American petrol pipeline have, in fact, been paid the ransom they were demanding, which is why the pipeline is now resuming operations. This attack has cut off petrol supplies to much of the American East Coast, which makes it a pretty big deal. I guess crime does pay, and cybercrime pays the best. If the USA is helpless against this kind of thing, where does that leave the rest of us?

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

Fred99

13684 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 10018

#2707456 14-May-2021 11:44

It leaves us all a bit further up sh*t creek I expect.

Of course the whole ransomware plot could have been designed and executed from NZ, biff in a bit of code to throw investigators off-track and toward the usual suspects.

Anyway as well a being good for cyberterrorism, it's good for bitcoin, further cementing it as a great conveyance for illicit trading in things that harm civilisation. ("But what about the evil banks" <- random capitalisation for effect).

1101

3141 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1143

#2708307 17-May-2021 09:35

they targeted infrastructure . The US hit back .

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2021/05/darkside-ransomware-gang-quits-after-servers-bitcoin-stash-seized/

"The DarkSide ransomware affiliate program responsible for the six-day outage at Colonial Pipeline this week that led to fuel shortages and price spikes across the country is running for the hills. The crime gang announced it was closing up shop after its servers were seized and someone drained the cryptocurrency from an account the group uses to pay affiliates."

MurrayM

2502 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 742

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2708396 17-May-2021 13:11

1101:

they targeted infrastructure . The US hit back .

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2021/05/darkside-ransomware-gang-quits-after-servers-bitcoin-stash-seized/

"The DarkSide ransomware affiliate program responsible for the six-day outage at Colonial Pipeline this week that led to fuel shortages and price spikes across the country is running for the hills. The crime gang announced it was closing up shop after its servers were seized and someone drained the cryptocurrency from an account the group uses to pay affiliates."

Always nice to see the bad guys get a dose of their own medicine!

arnies

554 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 103

ID Verified

#2709036 18-May-2021 14:53

Maybe they'll receive a payment from the Waikato DHB soon too?

Batman

Mad Scientist
30012 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 6217

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2709136 18-May-2021 18:29

1101:
they targeted infrastructure . The US hit back .

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2021/05/darkside-ransomware-gang-quits-after-servers-bitcoin-stash-seized/

"The DarkSide ransomware affiliate program responsible for the six-day outage at Colonial Pipeline this week that led to fuel shortages and price spikes across the country is running for the hills. The crime gang announced it was closing up shop after its servers were seized and someone drained the cryptocurrency from an account the group uses to pay affiliates."

So not just the FBI have them, CIA also have international backdoors

networkn

Networkn
32862 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 15453

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2710214 20-May-2021 14:29

I see a fair bit of commentary across various platforms, people making the point it's morally bankrupt to pay a ransom or that Governments should make it illegal.

I wonder if those people have considered that there is a moral obligation to customers and staff to protect them as well. For a number of companies for a variety of reasons, not paying the ransom would have been an extinction-level event. Staff would immediately have ceased to have jobs customers would have not only no longer had a supplier, but their personal information would have been leaked. It's a fairly impossible position to be in.

Yes, I do understand that funding criminals is a problem too.

Lego

Shop now for Lego sets and other gifts (affiliate link).

JaseNZ

2576 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1489

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#2710381 20-May-2021 21:53

Dunno I would say the FBI and CIA are far bigger criminals.

Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding : Ice cream man , Ice cream man

gzt

18678 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 7809

Lifetime subscriber

#2710395 20-May-2021 22:25

1101: they targeted infrastructure .

Apparently infrastructure was not directly targeted:

CNN: The company halted operations because its billing system was compromised, three people briefed on the matter told CNN, and they were concerned they wouldn't be able to figure out how much to bill customers for fuel they received.

Colonial Pipeline's priority was getting the billing system back online and regaining access to billing records. Perhaps If continuing fuel supply was the priority the company would have chosen a different strategy like supply and average the bills.

Handle9

11924 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9675

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2710396 20-May-2021 22:28

gzt:
Perhaps If continuing fuel supply was the priority the company would have chosen a different strategy like supply and average the bills.

That would only be possible if all the customers agreed with the approach up front. If they didn't there would have been a myriad of law suits and colonial would have been unable to charge for the fuel at all.

Custody transfer metering has pretty well defined case law and you don't mess around with it.

gzt

18678 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 7809

Lifetime subscriber

#2710397 20-May-2021 22:39

Yes, customers would tend to agree to preserve supply. Going beyond that in legally difficult circumstances govt can use emergency regulation to clarify issues and get things moving. National security and all that.

Handle9

11924 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9675

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2710400 20-May-2021 22:54

gzt: Yes, customers would tend to agree to preserve supply. Going beyond that in legally difficult circumstances govt can use emergency regulation to clarify issues and get things moving. National security and all that.

You're dreaming if you think any customer would pay for this. They'd be quite correctly telling Colonial "not my problem."

Equally government intervention in a short term commercial dispute is a massive litigation target. Given there are both federal and state issues here it's very complex and not something easily done.

Apple TV

Stream your favourite shows now on Apple TV (affiliate link).

gzt

18678 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 7809

Lifetime subscriber

#2710410 20-May-2021 23:31

Yes, as you stated it requires agreement and resolution of legal issues. It clearly was not worth it to achieve continued supply.

Varkk

643 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 477

#2710670 21-May-2021 11:25

The pipeline was only out of operation for a relatively short time. And consumers would have not noticed a disruption in supply if people hadn't rushed out and panic bought every last drop they could carry. Most of the issues around supplies running out actually occurred after the pipeline was moving again, and even hit areas which the pipeline doesn't serve.