US investigators recover the majority of ransom Colonial Pipeline paid to hackers

Contact Your Elected Officials
Fox Business

About 63.7 bitcoins have been recovered with an estimated value of about $2.3 million

The Department of Justice announced on Monday that investigators were able to recover most of the ransom paid to hackers who interrupted operations at Colonial Pipeline last month.

The DOJ’s recovery effort was carried out alongside the FBI and Colonial Pipeline, and began shortly after the ransom was paid to the DarkSide criminal enterprise group, which is believed to have connections to Russia.

The seizure announced on Monday was conducted by a recently launched ransomware and digital extortion task force, which was able to track bitcoin transactions. It was the group’s first operation of this kind, investigators said during a press conference on Monday. It is not, however, the first time the government has been able to recover digital currencies paid as ransom to cybercriminals.

Colonial Pipeline CEO Joseph Blount first said during an interview with The Wall Street Journal that about $4.4 million in cryptocurrency was paid to free the company’s systems.

About 63.7 bitcoins have been recovered, with an estimated value of about $2.3 million, according to the DOJ. The company paid about 75 bitcoins in ransom, according to authorities.

U.S. officials said that cooperating with law enforcement will increase the chances that ransom money paid to criminals is recovered, but they could not guarantee that efforts would be successful in every instance.

By Brittany De Lea

Read Full Article on FoxBusiness.com

The Thinking Conservative
The Thinking Conservativehttps://www.thethinkingconservative.com/
The goal of THE THINKING CONSERVATIVE is to help us educate ourselves on conservative topics of importance to our freedom and our pursuit of happiness. We do this by sharing conservative opinions on all kinds of subjects, from all types of people, and all kinds of media, in a way that will challenge our perceptions and help us to make educated choices.

Blind Man’s Shutdown

Congress is playing the equivalent of Bind Man's Bluff. With the shout “tag your it” they seek to blame the other party for the government shutdown.

A Reluctant Acknowledgment: What Conservatives Can Admire in Everyday Progressives

Admirable ideological qualities seen in liberals and left-wing individuals are those of the everyday believer not their political leadership.

Ensuring Domestic Tranquility

The Supremacy Clause in Article VI of the U.S. Constitution establishes it as the highest law of the land, taking precedence over conflicting state laws.

Pam Bondi, Zohran Mamdani, and the ADL: Censorious Peas in a Pod

Typically, the only four circumstances under which the leadership...

Shut it Down – Shut it Down

Shut down and dismantle every federal agency not essential to citizens' life, health, or liberty — phase them out and end their power. permanently!

Trump Weighs on Cutting Agencies as Government Shutdown Enters Day 2

Trump to meet with OMB Dir. Vought to decide which agencies face cuts and whether reductions will be temporary or permanent.

Is There a 9/11 WTC and 9/10 Charlie Kirk Connection?

Strange parallels in online stories raise questions about whether Israelis and Mossad intelligence are our allies or adversaries.

ACLU Sues ICE to Release Records of Detainment Facilities

ACLU has filed a lawsuit against ICE, seeking to compel the agency to disclose records related to specific operations, according to the complaint.

Pam Bondi, Zohran Mamdani, and the ADL: Censorious Peas in a Pod

Typically, the only four circumstances under which the leadership...

Department of Energy Cancels $7.5 Billion in Project Funding

The Dept of Energy (DOE) said on Oct. 2 that it had terminated 321 federal grants funding 223 projects, amounting to about $7.56 billion in cuts.

White House Withdraws EJ Antoni’s Nomination to Lead Bureau of Labor Statistics

The White House has withdrawn economist EJ Antoni’s nomination to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the White House confirmed on Sept. 30.

US to Impose 100 Percent Tariffs on Foreign-Made Movies, Trump Says

President Donald Trump announced on Sept. 29 that he will impose a 100 percent tariff on all movies produced outside the United States.

Trump to Host Netanyahu at White House to Discuss Gaza Peace Plan

President Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu at the White House on Sept. 29 to discuss a ceasefire and broader peace plan for Gaza.
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central