Colonial Pipeline executives adhered to a hefty ransom notice Thursday, paying them off to resume their gas operation, Your Content is learning.

Earlier on Thursday, President Joe Biden declined to comment on if Colonial Pipeline paid the ransom. White House Press Secretary Jen Pskai told reporters during a briefing that it remains the position of the federal government to not pay ransoms as it may incentivize cyber criminals to launch more attacks, reports CNBC.

The assault, carried out by the criminal cyber group known as DarkSide, forced the company to shut down approximately 5,500 miles of pipeline, leading to a disruption of nearly half of the nation’s East Coast fuel supply, the report continued.

Ransomware attacks involve malware that encrypts files on a device or network that results in the system becoming inoperable. Criminals behind these types of cyberattacks typically demand a ransom in exchange for the release of data.

This is a developing breaking news story. It will be updated momentarily.