Crime Gang Called DarkSide…
DarkSide Ransomware Does Not Attack Hospitals, Schools and Governments
DarkSide is a new ransomware attack that started at the beginning of August 2020. It is supposedly run by former affiliates of other ransomware campaigns that extorted money who decided to come up with their own code. According to the known incidents, the ransom demanded falls in the range of between $200,000 and $2,000,000 (US).
While cyber-attacks have disrupted the operations of other energy assets in the U.S. in recent years. this weekend’s theft of Colonial’s data, coupled with the detonation of ransomware on the company’s computers, is by far the largest and most impactful.
As we detailed earlier, the hackers who caused Colonial Pipeline to shut down the biggest U.S. gasoline pipeline on Friday began their blitz against the company a day earlier, stealing a large amount of data before locking computers with ransomware and demanding payment, according to people familiar with the matter.
Bloomberg reports that the intruders are part of a cybercrime gang called DarkSide, took nearly 100 gigabytes of data out of the Alpharetta, Georgia-based company’s network in just two hours on Thursday, two people involved in Colonial’s investigation said.
Aside from the inevitable sabre-rattling ‘blame Russia’ policy prescriptions that are likely imminent, the biggest concern for the ‘average joe’ American is – what will this do to gas prices?
“Restarting the pipeline is easy if no actual damage was done to it,” said McNally, who now runs Rapidan Energy Group, a consulting firm in Washington.
“The question is whether the attack was limited and contained and it didn’t cause any physical damage to it.”
But others are less sanguine.
The attack was on “the brains of the system,” according to Niyo Pearson, an oil and gas adviser for Cynalytica, a cybersecurity firm. “It controls the settings on the pipeline, what the pressure is, remote operation of valves,”
And that means, as Bloomberg reports, trying to restart the flow of gasoline without that capability would require Colonial to send people to various facilities along the length of the pipeline, and the expertise needed to operate under those conditions is limited, he said.
A key concern at present is meeting product demand in the U.S. Southeast, which is especially dependent on the Colonial system, people familiar with the situation said. The Northeast can secure gasoline shipments from Europe, they said, but it will come at an increasing cost the longer the pipeline stays shut.
“The longer it lasts, the more bullish it will be for refined products on the East Coast,” said Warren Patterson, head of commodities strategy at ING Groep NV.
“This will likely also drag European product prices higher, as we see more waterborne cargoes needing to go into the U.S. East Coast to meet the shortfall.”
In the meantime, Bloomberg reports that fuel producers including Marathon Petroleum Corp. are weighing alternatives for how to ship their products to the Northeast in case Colonial isn’t restored quickly. Traders and fuel shippers are seeking barges and other vessels to deliver gasoline that would have otherwise been shipped on the pipeline, according to people familiar with the matter. Others are securing tankers to temporarily store gasoline in the U.S. Gulf in the event of a prolonged shutdown, the people said.
“The Colonial outage comes at a critical juncture for the recovering U.S. economy: the start of the summer driving season,” ClearView Energy Partners said.
“We therefore think lawmakers could begin a ‘blame game’ immediately, and a sustained disruption that leads to a significant pump price spike could increase prospects of domestic policy interventions.”
The clock is ticking… “If they can restore their systems in 72 hours — or even a week — they’ll be in good shape,” Cynalytica’s Pearson said. “It gets really tough after that.”
“Our courts oppose the righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found. Truth stumbles in the streets, and honesty has been outlawed” (Isa. 59:14, NLT)…We Turned Our Backs On GOD, Now We Have Been Left To Our Own Devices, Enjoy…
- Daily WisdomMy Daily Wisdom “Let the wise listen and add to their learning.” — Proverbs 1:5 Wisdom grows when you remain teachable. Take a moment today to listen before responding, analyze how your choices express your values, and seek God’s guidance. You don’t have to get everything right; simply keep learning and taking the next step with humility and care. Prayer: God, give me a listening heart and wisdom for today. Help me choose words and actions that reflect Your love. Amen.
- Daily StrugglesDaily Struggles: Christians Are Not Without Hope “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” — 2 Timothy 1:7 Christians can feel afraid, anxious, or overwhelmed; faith doesn’t make those feelings disappear. It offers a place to bring them—to God in prayer and to trusted people who can walk beside us. With God’s help, we can face today’s struggles one step at a time, choosing courage, love, and wisdom even when fear is present. Prayer: God, meet me in my fears and give me strength for today. Help me seek support, act with love, and trust You through each next step. Amen.
- A Word of Caution: Massive Power Outages Are Imminent, and Americans Should Be ReadyBY SRH US residents must prepare for massive power disruptions. This was before roughly 5,000 data centers were built, straining an already obsolete power grid. The US government revealed alarming information in a Monday decree. Without easing pollution limits, it lacks the electrical capacity to serve all residents. The US Department of Energy has issued an emergency power order to prevent power outages in PJM Interconnection’s Mid-Atlantic and Midwestern areas. “Ahead of expected tight system conditions caused by unusually warm fall weather,” PJM said Monday, issuing maximum generation and load management recommendations. Over 67 million people in 13 states and DC are served by PJM. Equipment disruptions due to maintenance and building limited power transmission, as did weather. A PJM official said: Factors contributing to tight grid conditions include increased electricity demand, generator and transmission equipment maintenance, and large transmission…
- The Biblical Path ForwardThe Biblical Path Forward “Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” — 1 John 2:6 The way forward is shaped by following Christ: love your neighbor, speak truth with kindness, forgive generously, and serve with humility. When a choice feels difficult, pause, pray, and ask which path reflects Jesus’ character. Take that next step faithfully, trusting God to guide you along the way. Prayer: Jesus, shape my choices and help me follow Your example. Lead me in truth, humility, and love, one step at a time. Amen.
- Daily StrugglesDaily Struggles Psalms 23:1-3 1The LORD is my shepherd, and I will never be without.He leads me along peaceful waters and makes me lie down in green pastures. He heals my soul. For the sake of his name, he leads me in the right direction. Without a doubt, this is the most well-known psalm. Jesus picked up the idea that the LORD is like a shepherd in John 10:11. If He said, “I am the shepherd of the sheep,” He meant that He was the LORD God. A lot of books have been written about this point of view. We can only talk about a few of the points in this short meditation. Sheep are stupid and smell bad. Sorry if that makes you feel bad, but I can say that because I am one. Hunters would find them easy…
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Government technocrats,latrarchy, billionaire oligarchs, Big Pharma, Big Data, Big Media, the high-finance robber barons and the military industrial intelligence apparatus love pandemics for the same reasons they love wars and terrorist attacks. Catastrophic crises create opportunities of convenience to increase both power and wealth.
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