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Federal officials have recovered $2.3 million in bitcoin that Colonial Pipeline paid to a criminal outfit during a ransomware attack, the Department of Justice announced Monday.
Colonial Pipeline paid about $4.4 million in bitcoin to the attackers, linked to the Darkside ransomware group, after its payment systems were frozen last month. The company had to halt fuel transportation across the East Coast of the U.S., sparking fears of a gas shortage in a dozen states.
“The Department of Justice has found and recovered the majority of the ransom paid,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a press briefing.
FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate said federal officials had seized a bitcoin wallet that held the proceeds from the Colonial attack. It appears that the perpetrators still have about $2 million in crypto.
“Victim funds were seized from that wallet, preventing Darkside actors from using them,” he said.
The funds were seized as part of a ransomware task force created by the DOJ.
“The old adage ‘follow the money’ still applies,” Monaco said.
CNN first reported the news.
Ransomware attacks have been on the rise recently, with a number of high-profile and critical infrastructure firms falling victim to the cyberattack. In her opening remarks, Monaco warned companies to take steps immediately to secure their systems or risk falling victim.
The U.S. Department of Justice did not immediately share further details.
UPDATE (June 7, 2021, 19:40 UTC): Updated with details from DOJ officials.
