US investigators have seized millions in stolen ransomware bitcoins

The money was originally paid out to hackers who targeted Colonial Pipeline

Sponsored by Lumen Technologies The Download Your daily dose of what's up in emerging technology Track and trace 06.08.21 Good morning! I'm Niall and I'm standing in for Charlotte today. Today we're covering the successful recovery of millions in bitcoin that was paid after the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack. I've also buried a bonus Disney tune in the links. (These two things are unrelated.) Anyway, get your friends to sign up here to get the good stuff  (this newsletter) every day. US investigators have seized millions in stolen bitcoins taken in the pipeline ransomware attack The news: The US Justice Department has seized ransom money that Colonial Pipeline paid to a Russian hacking group last month. The money was paid after a ransomware attack crippled the company’s computer systems and forced it to shut down a 5,500-mile pipeline that carries nearly half of the fuel used on the East Coast. The aftermath of the attack saw a rapid rise in gas prices and closures of thousands of gas stations.  Track and trace: But investigators worked with Colonial Pipeline to track the ransom of 75 bitcoins (around $5 million at the time) through 23 different cryptocurrency accounts operated by DarkSide, a cybercrime collective based in Russia.   Eventually it ended up in a wallet that a US judge allowed investigators to break into and recover 63.7 bitcoins (today worth around $2.3 million, because the cryptocurrency dropped in value in the last month). “The old adage ‘follow the money’ still applies,” said deputy attorney general Lisa O. Monaco at a news conference at the Justice Department on Monday. The background: The FBI has been investigating DarkSide for more than a year. The group provides ransomware tools to hacker affiliates to carry out attacks in exchange for a cut of the ransom money. But DarkSide is just part of a growing problem. The FBI says it is looking at more than 100 ransomware variants and new attacks hit companies every day.  This was the first seizure of a cyber ransom undertaken by the Department of Justice’s recently created digital extortion taskforce, which will coordinate investigations and track the tools and techniques that hackers use. It marks a more aggressive response from the US government, which has started to push back against what it views as an urgent threat to the nation’s interests.  — Will Douglas Heaven Read more:  Why the ransomware crisis seems so relentless these days.  The pipeline attackers had a secret weapon.  Could the attack force action against Russia? We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction in these weird times. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or tweet 'em at me.)   + The art of Berthe Morisot, the most underestimated of all the Impressionists. + Look at this amazing Lego railway! + How to make sticky rice in the microwave.  + Meet Cooper, one of the BIGGEST dinosaurs to have ever stomped across the Earth. Sponsor Message It’s not just edge computing. It’s a competitive edge. The Lumen Edge Computing Platform is designed to deliver near-zero latency for next-gen apps. Available to 95% of U.S. businesses this year, see how Lumen is transforming industries across the globe, from education and healthcare to retail and government. Learn more. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 It’s time to talk about covid-19 and surfaces again What have we learned about touching stuff and infection? And why are we still disinfecting everything? (Wired)   + Some of the big questions around the lab-leak theory. (Slate)  2 How did the Alpha variant become so powerful? It’s sneaky. (NYT)   + Testing means coronavirus variants should have nowhere to hide. (Atlantic) 3 Americans are restarting their lives The latest polls suggest they’re relaxing as the vaccination rollout continues. (Axios)   + But unvaccinated children are a potential reservoir of infection. (CNN) 4 Google has helped map a part of a human’s brain It includes 50,000 cells and 130 million connections. (New Scientist $) 5 Could Germany’s pedophile treatment ever work anywhere else? The project hinges on not reporting offenders—and that’s controversial. (Undark) 6 The failure of Italy's digital democracy dream It's bad news for the future of online politics. (Wired UK) 7 Federal agents will now have to wear body cameras It’s a reversal of a long-held stance in a bid to appear more transparent. (WSJ) 8 A gentle reminder to opt out of Amazon Sidewalk Sharing your internet connection? No thanks. (Vox)   + Amazon delivery drivers have to put furniture together now. (Vice)  9 The secret to making planets? Magnetism A supercomputer simulation suggests it might be an overlooked ingredient. (Quanta)  10 Could we live under the sea?  Ariel, listen to me. (Gizmodo) EmTech Next kicks off today! Join leaders from Microsoft, Amazon, Cisco, Delta, Google, GitLab, Best Buy, Merck, Salesforce, and IBM to learn how they’re managing constant workplace disruption and distributed teams—and setting a course for the future of work. We're down to the last few hours to join. Purchase your ticket now.   EmTech Next is happening soon! Register today. Quote of the Day “I wake up in the morning and I don’t have to get right out of bed. I used to close my eyes, count to three, and jump out of bed before I could talk myself out of it. Now I can sit and be cozy and scroll on my phone and do whatever the hell I want for nearly two hours before I get up and start my day.” —Digital content maker Gwen Clarke talks to Vice about the joys of being freed from the “tyranny of busyness” during the pandemic. Top image credit: AP Please send Lego bricks to hi@technologyreview.com. Follow me on Twitter at @niallfirth. Thanks for reading! —Niall Was this newsletter forwarded to you, and you'd like to see more? Sign up today Re-envision the future of work Join us virtually | June 8-10, 2021 Register now   Follow us: MIT Technology Review One Main Street Cambridge, MA 02142   Subscription Information Want to change how you receive these emails? You can *update your preferences or *unsubscribe from this list.  This email was sent to Webmaster220 Bible Study Blog   *the blog owner has deleted the hyperlink intentionally