The federal government has reportedly recovered millions of dollars paid to a group of hackers in a ransomware scam against the Colonial Pipeline last month, an attack that halted the distribution of processed petroleum products to the southeast United States for about a week.
According to CNN, the CEO of the Colonial Pipeline reported paying $4.4 million to the hackers. It is unknown how much of the money was recovered. The company made the decision because it did not know how deep into the IT systems the hackers had penetrated, and they shut off distribution through the pipeline as a safety precaution.
While the company was preparing to pay the ransom, it was also working with the FBI to provide information on the hackers and how to track the ransom payment. The Department of Justice was scheduled to have a press briefing to provide information this afternoon.