A former National Security Agency hacker believes Putin “is connected to the actions of DarkSide,” a criminal gang based in Russian the FBI says carried out the cyberattack that shut down half the U.S. east coast’s petroleum supply, CNBC reported on Wednesday, May 12, 2021.
DarkSide denies it’s working for the Russian government and says it’s only in it for the money.
David Kennedy, the former NSA hacker, opposes paying ransom to hackers. While acknowledging that “could have drastic ramifications on businesses,” he argues that cutting off their revenue would shut down cybergangs like DarkSide.
Colonial Pipeline is in the process of restoring service; the media hasn’t reported whether they paid DarkSide.
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