DOJ responds to pipeline cyberattack

The Department of Justice on Monday held a press conference about the ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline.

Video transcript

- Today, the Department of Justice is announcing a significant development in the ransomware attack on the colonial pipeline. I'm joined today by FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate and acting US attorney for the Northern District of California Stephanie Hinds, to discuss the work of the department's ransomware and digital extortion task force in combating the epidemic of ransomware attacks by criminal groups. Also with us are assistant attorney general for national security, John Demers, and acting assistant attorney general for the criminal division, Nick McQuaid.

Ransomware attacks have increased in both scope and sophistication in the last year, targeting our critical infrastructure, businesses of all types, whole cities, and even law enforcement. Ransomware and digital extortion pose a national security and an economic security threat to the United States. The Department of Justice, working with our partners, is committed to using all of our tools at our-- all of the tools at our disposal to disrupt these networks and the abuse of the online infrastructure that allows this threat to persist.

The sophisticated use of technology to hold businesses and even whole cities hostage for profit is decidedly a 21st-century challenge. But the old adage, follow the money, still applies. And that's exactly what we do.

After Colonial Pipeline's quick notification to law enforcement and pursuant to a seizure warrant issued by the United States District Court for the Northern District of California earlier today, the Department of Justice has found and recaptured the majority of the ransom Colonial paid to the DarkSide network in the wake of last month's ransomware attack.