And refineries, and power plants, and...

quote:

Originally posted by 2PAK:
I'd like to think the other Pipelines are reviewing their Cybersecurity now...

quote:

Originally posted by Lefty Sig:

find the perps and capture or kill.

Why capture them? Just kill the bastards. Sets a good example. If bleeding hearts complain, kill them too. Sets a better example.

quote:

Originally posted by Lefty Sig:

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:
Doesn't sound like something law enforcement should get involved with. I was thinking more along the lines of the CIA or SEAL team 6 or Delta Force would give them a more appropriate response to this type of terrorism.

Pretty sure this qualifies as terrorism and the best thing Obiden can do is direct the intelligence agencies to find the perps and capture or kill. They need to be made an example of to deter others.

^^This. Find and eliminate these people with extreme prejudice. Let's see how many of these hackers what to step up to the plate and take a shot when the prize is potentially a bullet to the head.

quote:

Originally posted by rburg:
Why capture them? Just kill the bastards. Sets a good example. If bleeding hearts complain, kill them too. Sets a better example.

I like your style.

Colonial Pipeline Paid Hackers $5 Million In Ransom Hours After Attack

https://www.zerohedge.com/comm...y-markets-we-service

Update (1028ET): Bloomberg reports Colonial Pipeline paid Eastern European hackers approximately $5 million in untraceable cryptocurrency last Friday, contradicting a WaPo report it had no plans to pay the ransom to unlock its paralyzed pipeline system.

The company said the ransom was paid hours after the attack. Once the ransom was paid, the hackers provided Colonial with a decrypting tool to restore its computer system that controlled the pipeline that carries 100 million gallons per day of gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel from Texas to New Jersey.

quote:

Originally posted by Lefty Sig:

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:
Doesn't sound like something law enforcement should get involved with. I was thinking more along the lines of the CIA or SEAL team 6 or Delta Force would give them a more appropriate response to this type of terrorism.

Pretty sure this qualifies as terrorism and the best thing Obiden can do is direct the intelligence agencies to find the perps and capture or kill. They need to be made an example of to deter others.

The current admin would be singing a different tune if these clowns had sunk or, ran aground a ship blocking the ship channel into Houston or, NYC

quote:

Originally posted by wcb6092:
Colonial Pipeline Paid Hackers $5 Million In Ransom Hours After Attack

Seems cryptocurrency is the problem.

How exactly do you appropriate $5M to pay a ransom in a corporation? Takes a request for appropriation, multi-level approval possibly including the Board of Directors, then write a purchase order, more approvals, etc. I don't see how it can be done in "hours" unless every financial control is bypassed.

quote:

The current admin would be singing a different tune if these clowns had sunk or, ran aground a ship blocking the ship channel into Houston or, NYC

^^^^^^^^^^^^
Yeah Like writing another useless Executive Order. I remember how effective it was when the teacher wrote the rules on the blackboard after someone had misbehaved on the playground. Totally useless.

Paying it may be part of the process for tracking the money to get to the hackers.

Feds working with the Crypto Currency to track the funds, where they are transferred, who ends up with them....

quote:

Originally posted by Lefty Sig:
How exactly do you appropriate $5M to pay a ransom in a corporation? Takes a request for appropriation, multi-level approval possibly including the Board of Directors, then write a purchase order, more approvals, etc. I don't see how it can be done in "hours" unless every financial control is bypassed.

when the CEO makes a decision -- stuff gets done quick

$5M isn't a huge amount for large corporations.

----------------------------------------

quote:

Originally posted by Lefty Sig:
How exactly do you appropriate $5M to pay a ransom in a corporation? Takes a request for appropriation, multi-level approval possibly including the Board of Directors, then write a purchase order, more approvals, etc. I don't see how it can be done in "hours" unless every financial control is bypassed.

If they were smart, they had a Cyber insurance policy to cover just such events.
Cyber carriers have teams that basically negotiate with the bad guys and handle the cryptocurrency transactions.
I think paying $5mil "hours" after the attack is a huge exaggeration, but moving that amount of money in a day or so (when insurance is involved) is completely possible. I've seen it happen personally.

But said SIG209 said, when the shit hits the fan for real, you'd be amazed at what gets done PDQ at a multi-billion dollar company. Everyone gets to talking REAL quick - and you can forget about sleep for awhile.

And yes, Bitcoin and similar cryptocurrency is part of the problem because it is untraceable. It's the only form of payment they will accept. To the point the bad guys even tell you how to go about obtaining said currency and sending it.


Nowadays, it's pretty much to the point where it's not if you'll get hit, but when.
The phishing emails are getting more and more elaborate and I've seen some that have fooled seasoned experts.

I'm actually surprised it was only $5mil to be honest.
Generally the ransom amount is proportionate the the company's value.

They'll track them into a jurisdiction where we have not authority. It will likely be Russia. We can try turning the screws on them, be we're doing that already, and they're ignoring us.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
Paying it may be part of the process for tracking the money to get to the hackers.

Feds working with the Crypto Currency to track the funds, where they are transferred, who ends up with them....

quote:

Originally posted by Sig209:

quote:

Originally posted by Lefty Sig:
How exactly do you appropriate $5M to pay a ransom in a corporation? Takes a request for appropriation, multi-level approval possibly including the Board of Directors, then write a purchase order, more approvals, etc. I don't see how it can be done in "hours" unless every financial control is bypassed.

when the CEO makes a decision -- stuff gets done quick

$5M isn't a huge amount for large corporations.

----------------------------------------

Bet they just take it of of their lobbying accounts. Drop in the bucket.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:

quote:

The current admin would be singing a different tune if these clowns had sunk or, ran aground a ship blocking the ship channel into Houston or, NYC

^^^^^^^^^^^^
Yeah Like writing another useless Executive Order. I remember how effective it was when the teacher wrote the rules on the blackboard after someone had misbehaved on the playground. Totally useless.

My point was about the flippant, dismissive response from the administration that this incident was a 'private industry matter'. Instead of viewing it as a national infrastructure matter, we've got the new AG Garland, crowing on before Congress that the most dangerous security threat to the country...is white supremacy. Never mind that an entire region of the country, regardless of race, is paralyzed and a national commodity item has been held up for ransom.

Seems like if I had 5 million dollars in ransom I could probably pony up another seven figures to uhhh find the nice gentleman who did this to my company and uhhh, well have them delivered for a consult. Just saying.

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:

My point was about the flippant, dismissive response from the administration that this incident was a 'private industry matter'. Instead of viewing it as a national infrastructure matter, we've got the new AG Garland, crowing on before Congress that the most dangerous security threat to the country...is white supremacy. Never mind that an entire region of the country, regardless of race, is paralyzed and a national commodity item has been held up for ransom.

We are a country in disorder.

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:
My point was about the flippant, dismissive response from the administration that this incident was a 'private industry matter'. Instead of viewing it as a national infrastructure matter...

Contrast that flaccid response with how, say, Teddy Roosevelt might have handled someone extorting money from American companies by incapacitating US infrastructure.

But, TR has his image carved in a mountain, while Mr. Biden will be lucky to get his on the side of a dumpster.

quote:

Originally posted by joel9507:

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:
My point was about the flippant, dismissive response from the administration that this incident was a 'private industry matter'. Instead of viewing it as a national infrastructure matter...

Contrast that flaccid response with how, say, Teddy Roosevelt might have handled someone extorting money from American companies by incapacitating US infrastructure.

But, TR has his image carved in a mountain, while Mr. Biden will be lucky to get his on the side of a dumpster.

I'd be happy to see it on a milk carton . . . .

flashguy