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https://www.wsj.com/articles/colonial-pipeline-ceo-tells-why-he-paid-hackers-a-4-4-millionransom-11621435636

# Colonial Pipeline CEO Tells Why He Paid Hackers a $4.4 Million Ransom

**[wsj.com/articles/colonial-pipeline-ceo-tells-why-he-paid-hackers-a-4-4-million-ransom-11621435636](https://www.wsj.com/articles/colonial-pipeline-ceo-tells-why-he-paid-hackers-a-4-4-million-ransom-11621435636)**

May 19, 2021

A cyberattack on the U.S.’s largest fuel pipeline on May 7 forced a shutdown that triggered a
spike in gas prices and shortages in parts of the Southeast. WSJ explains just how
vulnerable the nation’s critical energy infrastructure is to attack. Photo illustration: Liz
Ornitz/WSJ

By [Collin Eaton](https://www.wsj.com/news/author/collin-eaton)

[and Dustin Volz](https://www.wsj.com/news/author/dustin-volz)

Updated May 19, 2021 4:51 pm ET


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The operator of the Colonial Pipeline learned it was in trouble at daybreak on May 7, when
an employee found a ransom note from hackers on a control-room computer. By that night,
the company’s chief executive officer came to a difficult conclusion: He had to pay.

Joseph Blount, CEO of Colonial Pipeline Co., told The Wall Street Journal that he authorized
the ransom payment of $4.4 million because executives were unsure how badly the
[cyberattack had breached its systems, and consequently, how long it would take to bring the](https://www.wsj.com/articles/cyberattack-forces-closure-of-largest-u-s-refined-fuel-pipeline-11620479737?mod=article_inline)
pipeline back.

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