Credit: Antonin Duallia on Unsplash
On the morning of May 7 a technician at Colonial Pipeline headquarters sat down at his desk and found himself staring at a ransom note: Darkside, a hacker organization, had encrypted their entire network and were demanding payment for a key to unlock it. Unsure about the scope of breach, the company quickly decided to shut down the pipeline, a piece of key infrastructure that delivers fuel to 13 states across the southeast. It took 5 days for the pipeline to restore service, as it investigated how deep the hack had penetrated. Meanwhile, gas stations were running low of fuel, prompting more shortages as people began to stock up. But by then the breach was effectively over, Colonial had paid the $5 million ransom before even publicly acknowledging the hack.
Colonial is not alone. Ransomware attacks generate an estimated $7.5 billion every year. It is so profitable, in fact, that hacking groups like Darkside operate with a certain degree of professionalism: guaranteed turnaround times, in-person chat support, slick branding, and a focus on customer service (“customer” might not be the correct word here). By all accounts, Darkside wanted no part of the pipeline to shut down, they just saw Colonial as one among countless other private businesses with strong cash flow and poor security practices.
There is a dog-catching-the-car comparison here. Darkside released a statement (from its corporate PR department, no doubt) sprinting away from the shutdown and the huge target now on their back, “our goal is to make money and not create problems for society.” Bit late for that.
Join us this Friday, May 21 from 6p – 8p for the opening reception of mini golf of sensual sports, our new exhibition at Florida Mining Gallery. We will be open to the public and serving beer and wine, with snacks from Daddy-O’s Portable Patio. Come say hi and see some great works by McKinna Anderson. RSVP here.
Credit: Michael Grimm
Little Island park opens in New York this weekend, after a long, arduous, sometimes sordid planning, approval, and construction. Undulating slopes balance on concrete piles where the abandoned pier 54 once stood, with designs by Heatherwick Studio and engineering from Arup. The Times' review calls it "a charmer, with killer views."
