Spy Tool Helped FBI Solve Pipeline Hack, Other Major Crimes, U.S. Officials Say

Biden administration pushes to renew spying law that privacy advocates say inappropriately collects data without a warrant

Ransomware attacks are increasing in frequency, victim losses are skyrocketing, and hackers are shifting their targets. WSJ’s Dustin Volz explains why these attacks are rising. Photo illustration: Laura Kammermann

WASHINGTON—Intelligence gleaned through a surveillance program due to lapse at the end of the year helped U.S. investigators solve a 2021 cyberattack that prompted the shutdown of the largest conduit of fuel on the East Coast, and claw back millions of dollars in ransom the pipeline’s operator paid to the perpetrators, senior U.S. officials said.

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