DarkSide’s ransomware-as-a-service

Hacking is one form of remote working that has thrived in the pandemic, partly because it is profiting off the back of many non-hackers working from home.

Security experts speculate that those behind the ransomware attack that has shut down a vital US pipeline would have found plenty of entry-point possibilities through engineers who would be remotely accessing its control systems.

The Colonial Pipeline — the country’s largest conduit for refined products, transporting almost half of the fuel consumed on the East Coast — was closed at the weekend after its operator said it had fallen “victim to a cyber security attack”.

The US government has since enacted emergency powers in an effort to keep fuel supply lines open as fears of shortages rose. Petrol prices jumped sharply when trading reopened on Sunday.

DarkSide, the hacker group blamed for the attack, appears to have been taken aback at creating a national emergency, insisting in a statement it only wanted to make money and regretted “creating problems for society”. It said it was “apolitical” and attempted to deflect blame for the attack on to “partners” that had used its technology.

As Tim Bradshaw and Hannah Murphy explain, DarkSide emerged as one of the leading ransomware outfits last August, and is believed to be run from Russia by an experienced team of online criminals.

Brett Callow, an analyst at the cyber security group Emsisoft, says the group rents out its services on the dark web. “DarkSide is a ransomware-as-a-service operation. I assume the attack on Colonial was carried out by an affiliate and the group is concerned about the level of attention it has attracted.”

No publicity is bad publicity, the saying goes, but while Colonial may be a great advert for the way DarkSide can encrypt and lock up systems for financial gain, it is also likely to make it a big target for the Biden administration, as it ramps up its response to cyber security threats.

The Internet of (Five) Things

1. Facebook to press ahead with Instagram for kids
The social network has signalled it will plough ahead with plans to launch a version of its Instagram photo app for under-13s. In a letter to Mark Zuckerberg, 44 attorneys-general had called on Facebook to drop its plans to launch an Instagram for under-13s, citing concerns that social media has a detrimental effect on the wellbeing of children.

2. Think-tank concerns over NHS Digital
NHS Digital, the provider of data and IT systems for England’s health service, has been accused by a think-tank of a potential conflict of interest after it paid 15 per cent of its budget in one year to Accenture, the consultancy where two of its board members previously worked. Meanwhile, Madhumita Murgia reports that after more than a year of diverting huge resources to battling coronavirus, the NHS is rolling out new artificial intelligence tools as it battles to cope with the enormous backlog of patients whose medical care has been sidelined by the crisis.

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3. ‘Web 3.0’ crypto platform set to launch
One of the most ambitious and long-delayed cryptocurrency projects is finally ready to see the light of day, amid signs that it could add a new twist to the speculative frenzy in digital assets when trading officially starts on Monday. Dfinity is set to release what it calls “the internet computer”, a group of technologies intended to support a new generation of decentralised applications and services that are being developed in the blockchain world.

4. CEO’s ode sends Meituan crashing
The share price of the Chinese food delivery app Meituan fell as much as 10 per cent on Monday after its chief executive posted an ancient poem that investors interpreted as criticising President Xi Jinping. Meituan is currently under a Chinese government antitrust investigation for abusing its market dominance.

5. Fantasy finance triggers real-world lawsuits
Lex has been looking at the implications of gamers spending increasing amounts of fiat currency acquiring virtual currencies to buy weapons, skins and other items: to the tune of $129bn this year, estimates SuperData.

Tech week ahead

Monday — Uber holds its annual shareholder meeting, while the Roblox gaming platform reports first-quarter earnings after the market close — its maiden results after its March IPO.

Tuesday — Palantir went public last year and the analytics company has earnings after the bell. Electronic Arts is expected to report a rise in first-quarter revenue, driven by the acquisitions of Codemasters and Glu Mobile, along with strong performance of its titles Fifa 21 and Madden NFL 21. IBM holds its IBM Think annual customer event. In Washington DC, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) Acting Director Brandon Wales testifies before the Senate on cyber security after the Solarwinds hack.

Wednesday — SoftBank is set to report a net profit of more than $40bn, the highest ever for a Japanese company, in a stunning comeback from last year when it posted its worst-ever loss. SoftBank’s Vision Fund rebounded this year after several of its investments went public on the back of the global stock rally.

Thursday — Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba will report first-quarter results, a month after it was fined a record 18bn yuan ($2.8bn) for violating anti-monopoly regulations. Investors will look for clarity on the company’s “rectification” plan and the fine’s impact on Alibaba’s earnings. In the US, Airbnb, delivery service DoorDash and cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase are due to report earnings after the close. Walt Disney is expected to post a fall in revenue when it reports its second-quarter results, as its theme park and film businesses continue to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Investors will look for commentary on Disney+ streaming growth.

Friday — iPhone assembler Foxconn will post quarterly earnings, with chairman Young Liu giving guidance for the company’s outlook amid the global chip and components shortage. Liu last month said he expected about 10 per cent of Foxconn’s shipments for the quarter to be affected by the crunch.

Tech tools — ProScenic T21 Smart Air Fryer

It’s a daily struggle of dual knob-twiddling to get our built-in oven on to the right settings, so I long for a voice-enabled kitchen appliance that just does what you tell it to. Enter the knob-free Alexa-enabled Proscenic T21 Smart Air Fryer (£119). It’s the first air fryer I’ve tried, requiring just a dash of oil, and is a much healthier version of the deep-fat fryer (or lard-filled chip pan to go back a few more decades).

The instruction manual is far from clear and there are no details on how to make it work with Alexa or Google Home, but I still found it fairly easy to connect it to Wi-Fi and add the Alexa skill. There is also an app that connects to the fryer, allowing you to browse recipes and then just press cook on the app once you’ve put the combined result into the sizeable basket and closed the machine.

My cooking repertoire is limited so my favourite commands are “Alexa, ask ProScenic Airfryer to preheat”, addressed to my Echo device in my home office and then going to the kitchen five minutes later, loading the basket with oven fries (no oil needed) and saying “Alexa, ask Proscenic air fryer to cook chips”. It then does so, automatically, in just a few minutes, and the results are excellent. The same applies to meats I have thrown in there — they come out well done, but moist and tender — and I find the air fryer is good at keeping warm and reheating food. In fact, the air fryer performs pretty well as a mini-oven, so my knob-twiddling days may soon be over.