Colonial Pipeline CEO Confirms Company Ransom to Hackers: WSJ

Colonial Pipeline Co. confirmed on Wednesday that it paid hackers $4.4 million in ransom after suffering a devastating cyberattack that took the U.S.’s largest fuel pipeline offline.

Chief Executive Officer Joseph Blount confirmed the payment in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, saying he authorized it because executives weren’t sure how badly the attack had breached its systems or how long it would take to bring the pipeline back. Bloomberg News reported last week that Colonial Pipeline paid the ransom on May 7, shortly after the hackers had infected some of its network with ransomware.