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The operator of the ransomware group Darkside, believed to originate in Eastern Europe or Russia, has been unable to access its computer systems to conduct cyber attacks. Associates close to the hacking group said it would disband, citing international pressure from the US, said security research firm FireEye.See also:
Recorded Future threat intelligence analyst Dmitry Smilyanets said DarkSide has lost control of its servers and lost some money it made through ransom payments.
Darksupp also reported cryptocurrency funds were withdrawn from the payment server and would be split between itself and its associates.
This sudden dispersion of the hacking group is suspicious. Who would disband a hack operation for a measly $5 million - that will barely buy a mansion in the Bay Area.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden announced his administration had been "in direct communication with Moscow about the imperative for responsible countries to take decisive action against these ransomware networks" and would "pursue a measure to disrupt their ability to operate."
Biden said, "We do not believe the Russian government was involved in this attack, but we do have strong reason to believe that the criminals who did the attack are living in Russia, that's where it came from."
But not everyone is convinced DarkSide is a legitimate hacking group but rather a cover for a rogue group of CIA hackers.
Natalya Kaspersky, the founder and former CEO of security software firm Kaspersky Lab, made an explosive suggestion in an interview with Russian state-owned domestic news agency RIA Novosti that CIA hackers were actually behind the Colonial Pipeline attack, reported RT News.
Kaspersky said the Umbrage team, which is part of the Remote Development Branch under the CIA's Center for Cyber Intelligence, can mask its hackers as outside ones and leave behind the "fingerprints" of the external hackers when it breaks into electronic devices.
WikiLeaks in 2017 shed light on the Umbrage team. At the time, USA Today said CIA operatives "may have been cataloging hacking methods from outside hackers, including in Russia, that would have allowed the agency to mask their identity by employing the method during espionage."
Kaspersky pointed out a list "of the countries under whose hacker groups this UMBRAGE is disguised - Russia, North Korea, China, Iran." She claimed that "therefore, it cannot be said with certainty that a hacker group carried out the attack from Russia and that it was not a provocation made themselves from there, or from some other country."
... more things that make you go hmm.
"It is imperative that we seek the truth of what happened on January 6 with an independent, bipartisan 9/11-type Commission to examine and report upon the facts, causes and security relating to the terrorist mob attack. Today a bipartisan agreement to form such a commission has been reached, with legislation to create it set to reach the Floor as soon as next week."

"I said that we would exact a very heavy price from Hamas. We're doing it and will continue doing it with great intensity. This is not the last word and this operation will continue as long as necessary."Israel has bombed over 650 targets in Gaza, destroying several high-rise buildings in the densely-populated Palestinian enclave. The IDF said its strikes have killed dozens of militants, including some top Hamas commanders.

Asked directly if he was confident Russian President Vladimir Putin was not involved, Biden emphasized that the FBI did not believe Putin was involved. Biden said he would likely discuss the attack with Putin at some point.Was this a false flag? Was it a trial run? Was Colonial Pipeline used as an excuse to leverage more control? All have been done in the past for 'other than stated reasons' counting on naive citizen and business reaction. Considering the track record, skeptics may have a point."We are working to try to get to the place where we have an international standard that governments knowing that criminal activities are happening in their territory, that we all move on those criminal enterprises, and I expect that is one of the topics I will be talking about with President Putin."The Biden administration has been forced by the Colonial Pipeline and SolarWinds attacks, among other escalating cyber threats, to take immediate action to strengthen federal cybersecurity.
As part of this, Biden signed an executive order Wednesday night to take a range of actions to make it more difficult for hackers to successfully compromise federal agencies. The order requires the establishment of baseline security standards for all software sold to the government, and that IT groups doing business with the federal government report breaches.
Additionally, the administration launched a 100-day initiative in April to secure the electric sector against cyberattacks, with initiatives also planned to secure other critical sectors including the oil and gas industry.
"Private entities are in charge of their own cybersecurity," Biden said Thursday. "We know what they need, they need greater private sector investment in cybersecurity."
To further promote cybersecurity, Biden called on the Senate to vote on and approve the nominations of former National Security Agency Deputy Director Chris Inglis to serve as national cyber director at the White House, and of Jen Easterly to serve as the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Additionally, he stressed the importance of passing his infrastructure package to strengthen critical systems against attacks, and for Congress to take action to help the private sector defend itself."I cannot dictate that the private companies do certain things relative to cybersecurity. I think it's becoming clear to everyone that we have to do more than is being done now, and the federal government can be significant value-added in having that happen."
Comment: Dedicated but frustrated president, or another symptom of mental deterioration?