{"id":465219,"date":"2021-06-08T12:00:11","date_gmt":"2021-06-08T12:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ktsl888.com\/?p=465219"},"modified":"2021-06-08T07:54:47","modified_gmt":"2021-06-08T07:54:47","slug":"questions-linger-as-fbi-recovers-colonial-pipeline-ransomware-crypto-funds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ktsl888.com\/news\/questions-linger-as-fbi-recovers-colonial-pipeline-ransomware-crypto-funds\/","title":{"rendered":"Questions Linger As FBI Recovers Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Crypto Funds"},"content":{"rendered":"
U.S agencies<\/a> claim they have recovered most of the $4.4 million in crypto paid out to hackers of the Colonial Pipeline. But hazy details around the case leave more questions than answers.<\/p>\n Last month, news<\/a> broke that hackers had exploited a pipeline that carries refined gasoline from Texas to New York, forcing a shutdown of operations. The pipeline is responsible for 45% of the East Coast’s fuel supply.<\/p>\n The chaos<\/a> that ensued triggered a 6 cent per gallon rise at the pump. But more than that, fear of shortages had market analysts sounding the alarm.<\/p>\n Although the general practice is not to pay hackers, given what was at stake, Joseph Blount<\/a>, the CEO of Colonial Pipeline Company, authorized payment of the $4.4 million demanded by hackers.<\/p>\n “I know it was a controversial decision. I didn’t make it lightly. I will admit that I wasn’t comfortable seeing money go out the door to people like this.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Yesterday, U.S agencies announced the recovery<\/a> of the majority of those funds from DarkSide; the Eastern-European-based group said to be responsible for the attack. CNBC<\/a> claims U.S agencies recovered just over half of the crypto funds or $2.3 million in cash value.<\/p>\n The Deputy Director of the FBI, Paul Abbate, said his agency successfully seized the ransom funds from a Bitcoin wallet used by DarkSide to collect the ransomware payment from the Colonial Pipeline Company.<\/p>\n However, further details on this were not disclosed, leading to speculation on how that was possible.<\/p>\n If the FBI had cracked the wallet or somehow brute-forced it open, then crypto security isn’t as strong as we are led to believe. Alternatively, if the crypto wallet was an exchange wallet, why would the exchange make a partial return?<\/p>\n If the details are to be believed, then logic dictates the FBI must have cracked the wallet. But how easy is it to crack a crypto wallet?<\/p>\nCrypto Funds Recovered By U.S<\/h2>\n
How Easy Is It To Crack A Bitcoin Wallet?<\/h2>\n