Tag Archives: Colonial Pipeline

Ransomware: Its Rise And How The U.S. Is Fighting It

Ransomware attacks are increasing in frequency, victim losses are skyrocketing, and hackers are shifting their targets. WSJ’s Dustin Volz explains why these attacks are on the rise and what the U.S. can do to fight them. Photo illustration: Laura Kammermann

News: Top 5 Stories For June 8, 2021 (Reuters)

Five stories to know for June 8: Colonial Pipeline, Guatemala, shooting of 6-year-old, truck attack and hi-tech sting

1. The Justice Department recovered some $2.3 million in cryptocurrency ransom paid by Colonial Pipeline, cracking down on hackers who launched the most disruptive U.S. cyberattack on record.

2. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said she had “robust” talks with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei on the need to fight corruption to help deter undocumented immigration from Central America to the United States.

3. Authorities in California said they had arrested two people expected to be charged with murder over the death of 6-year-old Aiden Leos, whose shooting in a suspected road rage incident on the way to school had caused an outpouring of public grief.

4. A man accused of killing four members of a Canadian Muslim family by running them over in his pickup truck targeted them in an attack motivated by hate, police said.

5. Global law enforcement agencies hacked into an app used by criminals and read millions of encrypted messages, leading to hundreds of arrests of organized crime figures in 18 countries, officials said.

Analysis: Colonial Pipeline Cyberattack Explained

A cyberattack on the U.S.’s largest fuel pipeline on May 7 forced a shutdown that triggered a spike in gas prices and shortages in parts of the Southeast. WSJ explains just how vulnerable the nation’s critical energy infrastructure is to attack. Photo illustration: Liz Ornitz/WSJ