The Harbinger of the Colonial Pipeline Ransomware

The harbinger is what protections against hacks and ransomware are underway? Stopping oil and gas flow and delivery is how to stop life and economies. Apply some critical thinking here…it goes way beyond cost as supply is crucial. If the FBI was well aware of the DarkSide in 2020….we need to rethink the Bureau completely.

PC Magazine provides this update in part:

The FBI today confirmed that the cyberattack that forced Colonial Pipeline to take its network offline over the weekend is due to ransomware known as DarkSide.

“The FBI confirms that the DarkSide ransomware is responsible for the compromise of the Colonial Pipeline networks,” the agency says. “We continue to work with the company and our government partners on the investigation.”

During a Monday White House press briefing, Anne Neuberger, Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology, said the FBI has been investigating the DarkSide variant since October 2020, and has determined that it’s a ransomware-as-a-service attack, meaning “criminal affiliates conduct attacks and then share the proceeds with ransomware developers,” she said.

Though news reports have tied DarkSide to Russian operatives, President Biden said Monday that “so far, there’s no evidence…from our intelligence people that Russia is involved, although there is evidence that the actors [behind the ransomware are] in Russia, [so] they have some responsibility to deal with this.”

Colonial Pipeline cyberattack shuts down pipeline that ...

The Chicago Tribune along with other media sources post the notion that this should not last long:

The operator of a major U.S. pipeline hit by a cyberattack said Monday it hopes to have service mostly restored by the end of the week.

Colonial Pipeline offered the update after revealing that it had halted operations because of a ransomware attack the FBI has linked to a criminal gang.

The ransomware attack on the pipeline, which the company says delivers roughly 45% of fuel consumed on the U.S. East Coast, raised concerns that supplies of gasoline, jet fuel and diesel could be disrupted in parts of the region if the disruption continues.

At the moment, though, officials said there is no fuel shortage.

The Colonial Pipeline transports gasoline and other fuel through 10 states between Texas and New Jersey, according to the company.

Colonial is in the process of restarting portions of its network. It said Sunday that its main pipeline remained offline, but that some smaller lines were operational. The company has not said when it would completely restart the pipeline.

“The time of the outage is now approaching critical levels and if it continues to remain down we do expect an increase in East Coast gasoline and diesel prices,” said Debnil Chowdhury, IHS Markit Executive Director. The last time there was an outage of this magnitude was in 2016, he said, when gas prices rose 15 to 20 cents per gallon. But the Northeast had significantly more local refining capacity at that time, potentially intensifying any impact.

The FBI and others got the attribution right on this one and did so very quickly.

The group behind the ransomware that took down Colonial Pipeline late last week has apologized for the “social consequences,” claiming that its goal is to make money, not cause societal problems.

According to Vice, the group’s apology was posted to its dark web site. It reads:

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

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.

According to NYT cybersecurity reporter Nicole Perlroth, DarkSide isn’t necessarily associated with a specific nationstate, but it does tend to avoid holding victims for ransom if their systems are running in certain Russian and Eastern European languages (see embedded tweet below). Bloomberg reports that the group is known to speak Russian.

Source:

Imagine the other worldwide pipeline systems and their respective responses such as all of Europe.

Natural gas pipelines of Europe and surrounding regions ...

 

Audio Proves John Kerry is a Traitor

Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian Foreign Minister and long time friend of John Kerry, had an interview recording with an economist Saeed Leylaz in March. The call was recorded and leaked to a London based Persian news outlet called Iran International.

Inside the call, Zarif revealed that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps actually runs the country and often is at odds with Zarif. Additionally admitted was the death of Qassim Suleimani, the commander of the Guard’s elite force known as the Quds Force has damaged the country. Suleimani exploited his power in the nuclear deal, the war plans in Syria as well as ground operations.

US senator tells John Kerry to resign from Biden ...

Based on how the New York Times twists the facts and alters the full truth, there are some details spelled out that are interesting, found here.

There are already calls in Washington DC for John Kerry to resign and there is justification for that however not before there is a full hearing in the Senate. Why you ask? Also included in the Zarif interview was the admission that John Kerry often spoke to Zarif and in a particular case shared the highly classified fact(s) that Israel was behind at least 200 airstrikes in Syria. Zarif says he was shocked that Kerry would reveal such protected information and betray Israel.

 


It cannot be understated that John Kerry has split loyalties and his advocacy for Iran continues to be extraordinary. Kerry does in fact maintain security clearance and does sit on the Biden National Security Council as the climate czar. Frankly that position is likely to be just an official cover to continue his foreign policy work with U.S. adversaries including China and Russia.

It is hardly as surprise that the Biden White House refuses to comment, stating they do not respond to leaked tape(s) or the authenticity. Well, hey Biden people, you opened communications channels with Iran to restart the nuclear deal talks, so pick up the phone and call Zarif to gain authenticity. Yeesh.

It should be noted that when one has security clearance, a signature is required that includes a major stipulation that the candidate is subject to Federal prosecution if classified material is divulged and not approved for release. Perhaps it is time to use the FISA court for a real intended purpose and issue subpoenas for John Kerry’s communication(s) records including enlisting the NSA for the validation of emails, phone calls, encrypted text messages or written documents. John Kerry should be suspended from all official government positions and activity until a full hearing is performed.

The next question is what will Israel do in this case? It is interesting that Israel did send an envoy to the U.S. just a few days ago including those from the Mossad for discussion at the Department of Defense. It should also be noted that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited Israel on April 12/13th for discussions regarding the mysterious Natanz explosion where enriching uranium was advancing as a faster pace. There were likely many other items discussed during this confab, quite possibly the Zarif interview, John Kerry and sanctions.

This is a brewing scandal and the Biden White House needs to come clean.

When Critical Race Theory Hits West Point

It should not be a real surprise given the plotting to put General Lloyd Austin in as Secretary of Defense. He has done the same throughout the ranks of the military and the Pentagon.

In part: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has called for a worldwide “stand down” of the U.S. military in April to focus on extremism in the ranks. This is fine, but indications are that the one-day sessions will not focus on both ends of the political spectrum, and will not identify true extremists who have no place in the military.

On Inauguration Day, Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., insinuated that most of the 25,000 National Guard soldiers guarding the Capitol were white males and probably Trump voters inclined to cause trouble. Neither of these disdainful opinions reflect what the rules regarding extremism actually say.

Department of Defense (DOD) Instruction 1325.06 prohibits active participation in “supremacist, extremist or criminal gang doctrine, ideology or causes.” The description fits white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and like-minded fringe hate groups. It also fits the “anti-fascist” Antifa movement, the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, led by self-identified, trained Marxists, and other leftist groups that instigate, exploit, or engage in violence for political purposes.

Now the military academies are embracing critical race theory (CRT), which divides people with unresolvable accusations of “systemic racism.” Last year a group of “woke” alumni issued a 40-page manifesto demanding that West Point make “anti-racism” the central feature of the curriculum. Action items included statements from all white leaders “acknowledging how their white privilege sustains systems of racism.”

Meanwhile, the Navy just released their “Task Force One Navy” Final Report (TF1N). The 141-page document is filled with ideologically leftist vocabulary including “intersectionality,” “disparate impact,” and 338 variations of the word “diverse.” A five-point “TF1N Pledge” makes sailors and Marines promise to fight “racism, sexism, ableism, and other structural and interpersonal biases,” but it does not mention operational readiness or mission accomplishment. Read more here.

Then it does hit the military academies…..

United States Military Academy at West Point

FNC:

Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a Green Beret and Afghan War veteran, warned of dangerous consequences for the U.S. military’s effectiveness and abilities if reported anti-White critical race theory curriculum continues to be taught to cadets at West Point Military Academy.

Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying ...

Waltz reacted Thursday on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” after host Tucker Carlson reported under Superintendent Darryl Williams, cadets at the Hudson Valley military institution are mandated to go through controversial trainings, to which the host mentioned a classroom slide labeled “White Power at West Point,” — which reportedly gave one example of such as a comment made by a cadet in opposition to Affirmative Action.

Another example Carlson said Waltz had obtained is evidence of a lecture entitled “Understanding Whiteness and White Rage” — which the host called “a pure racial attack.”

Waltz said he received documents from cadets and their families who are “disturbed” at the radical shift at West Point.

“Of course, as a military, we should always work to eradicate extremism. We should never tolerate racism. But this goes way too far: One of the things that has me so disturbed as a member of the armed services committee and a combat veteran is when you come into the United States Army, is from from day one, you are all the same.”

“You are told the only skin color you should worry about is camouflage… The enemy’s bullets don’t care about Black, White, or Brown, or political party or race or religion or any of that. And we shouldn’t care about it either as we are teaching the future leaders of the United States Army.”

Carlson noted that if the races were switched and there was mandated instruction on Black supremacy or “Black rage,” there would be a public and political outcry and the faculty responsible would and should be fired.

Waltz said West Point’s woke shift indeed spells potential trouble for combat situation.

“As a Green Beret, I can’t imagine being in a situation in combat where I am ordering a soldier to charge a machine gun and he now has the seed planted in his mind — am I sending him him because he is African-American? Should I feel guilty because of White privilege?”

“That is absolutely destructive to morale, to unity, to everything that I know from a military, that by the way integrated way before the rest of the country, in 1948.”

Carlson later agreed, calling for the West Point officers involved in making these reported decisions are “discharged, dishonorably.”

Biden Admin has No Approach to Challenge China on Spratley Islands

“An armed attack against the Philippines’ armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the Pacific, including in the South China Sea, will trigger our obligations under the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.

This handout satellite imagery taken on March 23, 2021 and received on March 25 from Maxar Technologies shows Chinese vessels anchored at the Whitsun Reef in the South China Sea. known as maritime militia

“We share the concerns of our Philippine allies regarding the continued reported massing of PRC maritime militia near the Whitsun Reef,” Price said, referring to the People’s Republic of China.

More than 200 Chinese boats were first spotted on March 7 at Whitsun Reef, around 320 kilometers (200 miles) west of Palawan Island in the contested South China Sea, although many have since scattered across the Spratly Islands. President Joe Biden has vowed a robust defense of allies and, in a rare point of continuity with his predecessor Donald Trump, has supported strong pushback against Chinese assertiveness. source

Beijing Orders 200 Ships To Spratly Islands, Provoking ...

*** Big money says that the Biden admin is too feckless to respond, meaning China gains control over the Spratley Islands unless other immediate nations take military action. Why? President Biden asserts he had a two hour phone conversation with President Xi….no mention of the pandemic or the contested claims in the South China Sea. Maybe Kamala knows….

The South China Sea is one of the most important bodies of water on the planet. Besides China, multiple nations including Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines have their own, sometimes overlapping, claims to portions of the South China Sea. In addition to historic claims, according to the United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a nation has sovereignty over waters extending twelve nautical miles from its land and exclusive control over economic activities 200 nautical miles out into the ocean.

The South China Sea is rich with natural resources such as oil and gas. It accounts for 10 percent of the world’s fisheries and has provided food and a way of living for millions of people in the region for centuries. The region is also one of the busiest trading routes, with about one-third of global shipping and more than $3 trillion worth of global trade passing through this area annually.

When Xi Jinping became Communist China’s supreme leader in 2013, he regarded transforming China into a maritime power, including the expansion in the South China Sea, as a key component to his great Chinese rejuvenation. According to the Chinese Communist Party’s own publication, “On the South China Sea issue, [Xi] personally made decisions on building islands and consolidating the reefs, and setting up the city of Sansha. [These decisions] fundamentally changed the strategic situation of the South China Sea.” source

A video released by space technology firm Maxar shows a piece of land has been added to Subi Reef. Photo: Handout photo dated February 20, 2021

Maxar satellite photos show that China has added land mass to the Subi Reef. Further, the Philippine Coast Guard/National Task Force West also has photos of 200 Chinese ships moored at the Whitsun Reed.

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The Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs surrounded by rich fishing grounds – and potentially by gas and oil deposits. They are claimed in their entirety by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines. About 45 islands are occupied by relatively small numbers of military forces from China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Since 1985 Brunei has claimed a continental shelf that overlaps a southern reef but has not made any formal claim to the reef. Brunei claims an exclusive economic zone over this area.

Paracel and Spratly Islands source

The islands are strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs and the attraction for all the countries claiming control/ownership is nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary basins indicating potential oil and gas deposits, but the region is largely unexplored.

Why the notion that the Biden administration has a feckless approach on China and the disputed island? China is assessed to have 7 outposts (Fiery Cross, Mischief, Subi, Cuarteron, Gavin, Hughes, and Johnson reefs); the outposts on Fiery Cross, Mischief, and Subi include air bases with helipads and aircraft hangers, naval port facilities, surveillance radars, air defense and anti-ship missile sites, and other military infrastructure such as communications, barracks, maintenance facilities, and ammunition and fuel bunkers. source

 

Meet David Chipman, Biden’s New ATF Director

Biden announced his gun czar at a presser on April 8, 2021. Who is he?
Well, this cat wrote an opinion piece a few weeks ago. In part noted by Newsweek:

(…) declaring that the Constitution’s Second Amendment envisions firearms as being “well regulated.”

Chipman’s article, printed in The Roanoke Times, criticized local governments in Virginia that responded to state legislative firearm reform efforts by declaring themselves as “Second Amendment sanctuary” counties. These counties’ sheriffs and local officials claimed that the Constitution allowed them to block any laws that violated gun owners’ freedoms. “The Second Amendment envisions firearms as being ‘well regulated,’ and individual sheriffs aren’t entitled to decide whether a particular regulation is constitutional—that’s the job of the courts,” Chipman wrote. He also accused local sheriffs and officials of stoking fears, spreading lies and valuing “unregulated access to guns above the lives of their neighbors.”

Chipman studied justice as an American University undergraduate and studied management as a Johns Hopkins University master’s student.

A year after graduating from American University, he began a nearly 23-year career at the ATF. During that time, he worked as a special agent in charge of ATF’s firearms programs and also as a member of the ATF division bearing similarity to special weapons and tactics (SWAT) teams in police departments. He also reportedly disrupted a Virginia firearms trafficking operation that supplied illegal guns to New York City while working at the ATF.

Former ATF Special Agent David Chipman delivers remarks ...

After leaving the agency, he worked for a year and a month as a senior advisor for the municipal firearm reform advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety. He also worked nearly three years as senior vice president of public safety solutions for ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection system.

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Chipman, an ATF veteran, works also for the former Rep. Gabby Giffords team on gun control issues.

Reforms, rules and regulations, otherwise called initiatives include:

 

Beware…more to come.