This post was originally published on this site
The criminal group linked to a cyberattack that disrupted gasoline delivery across parts of the southeastern U.S. this week has told hacking associates that it is shutting down, according to security research firms.
A website operated by ransomware group DarkSide, which U.S. officials have said is believed to originate in Eastern Europe, has been down since Thursday.
DarkSide has told associates it has lost access to the infrastructure it uses to run its operation and would be shutting down, citing pressure from law enforcement and from the U.S., according to security firms FireEye and Intel 471. DarkSide didn’t respond to requests for comment earlier in the week made through its web site before it was shut down.
It is not uncommon for ransomware groups such as DarkSide to disband, only to pop up later under a different name. It couldn’t be determined if the U.S. had any role in DarkSide’s claimed disruption or if the disruption was authentic. The FBI and the Justice Department didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
An expanded version of this article appears on WSJ.com.
Popular stories from WSJ.com:
