Hackers accused of US fuel pipeline ransomware attack say they’re apolitical, do not want to ‘create problems for society’

A hacking group suspected of shutting down one of the US’ main fuel pipelines in a ransomware attack on Friday has said its goal is to make money, not to create problems for society.

The ‘DarkSide’ organization released a statement on Monday after several media outlets claimed – without providing evidence – that it was responsible for shutting down the Colonial Pipeline, which provides 45% of the East Coast’s oil supply.

The brief statement, published on DarkSide’s news feed, did not address the attack, but instead outlining its general motives and policy.

“We are apolitical, we do not participate in geopolitics, do not need to tie us with a defined government and look for our motives,” it said.

“Our goal is to make money, and not creating problems for society. From today we introduce moderation and check each company that our partners want to encrypt to avoid social consequences in the future.”

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The statement did not provide further details of the group’s “partners.”

The Colonial Pipeline Company has said it took its systems offline after realizing it had been hit by a ransomware attack on Friday.

Cybersecurity experts have launched an investigation into the incident, the operator said in a statement on Sunday, adding that it is “in the process of restoring service” to its system, including its main lines. Smaller lines remain in operation.

The attack has caused chaos for the Colonial Pipeline, which transports some 2.5 million barrels of fuel a day from Texas to areas across America’s East Coast.

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In response, the US government on Sunday used emergency legislation to relax the rules for gasoline, diesel and jet fuel to instead be transported by road.

On Sunday, Bloomberg reported that “cybercrime gang” DarkSide stole almost 100 gigabytes of data from the Colonial Pipeline Company on Thursday in a couple of hours, according to anonymous sources.

The media outlet said the group used ransomware to encrypt computer files and threatened data would be leaked online unless a payment was paid.

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