Cyber gangsters recently attacked the Colonial Pipeline with ransomware and demanded a ransom in the millions in the form of Bitcoin. The FBI has tracked the ransom and seized Bitcoin wallets worth $ 2,3 million and even emptied the wallets.
The FBI's Bitcoin coup is a declaration of war. In the sights: the infrastructure of the criminals. When the APT gang paralyzed the Colonial Pipeline company in May with their ransomware, the gas stations on the US east coast ran dry and panic buying ensued. The US judiciary has now achieved real success relatively quickly. According to the FBI, a large part of the ransom paid in Bitcoin has been confiscated.
Bitcoin ransom seized
This step is more than just an investigative success. He is a declaration of war by the US government to all ransomware gangs. The FBI is said to have seized 63,7 Bitcoin, currently valued at around $ 2,3 million. It was possible to identify a digital wallet that the attackers had used to distribute the loot. Even if it is complicated, money flows from Bitcoin wallets can be tracked. According to the FBI, it was also possible to get the encryption codes of the wallet and use them. How that worked, however, could not be found out by the FBI.
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