Top U.S. Fuel Pipeline Operator Colonial Pipeline Worked To Recover From A Ransomware Cyberattack That Forced It To Shut Down On Friday.
Top U.S. Fuel Pipeline Operator Colonial Pipeline Worked On Sunday To Recover From A Ransomware Cyberattack That Forced It To Shut Down On Friday And Sparked Worries Of A Spike In Retail Gasoline Prices. Colonial said on Saturday it was “continuing to monitor the impact of this temporary service halt” and to work to restore service. It did not give an estimate for a restart date.
The incident is one of the most disruptive digital ransom operations ever reported and has prompted calls from American lawmakers to tighten protections for critical U.S. energy infrastructure against hackers. Colonial moves 2.5 million barrels per day of gasoline and other fuels from refiners on the Gulf Coast to consumers in the mid-Atlantic and southeastern United States. Its 8,850-kilometre network serves major U.S. airports, including Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson Airport, the world’s busiest by passenger traffic.
Retail fuel experts including the American Automobile Association said an outage lasting several days could have significant impacts on regional fuel supplies, particularly in the U.S. Southeast. While the U.S. government investigation is in the early stages, a former U.S. official and two industry sources said the hackers are likely a professional cybercriminal group and that a group dubbed “DarkSide” was likely among the potential suspects.
DarkSide is known for deploying ransomware and extorting victims while avoiding targets in post-Soviet states. Ransomware is a type of malware designed to lock down systems by encrypting data and demanding payment to regain access. Cybersecurity firm FireEye has also been brought in to respond to the attack, according to the two industry sources. FireEye declined to comment. Colonial said late on Saturday it was working with a “leading, third-party cybersecurity firm,” but did not name the firm.
This news was originally published at The Globe And Mail.