Leading American fuel pipeline company Colonial shut down its entire network that supplies nearly half of the fuel to the US East Coast, following a May 8 ransomware ransomware attack.
The Colonia company had to shut down the fuel pipeline after a cyber attack. Photo: AP. Leading American fuel pipeline company Colonial shut down its entire network that supplies nearly half of the fuel to the US East Coast, following a May 8 ransomware ransomware attack. Every day, the Colonial company ships 2.5 million barrels of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other products through a 850-kilometer pipeline connecting the eastern and southern coasts of the United States. The company has shut down systems to stop the threat after learning about the attack. According to sources, hackers are most likely a highly professional cybercrime group. And the malware used in the attack is ransomware. Ransomware is a type of malware designed to lock systems by encrypting data and taps money to regain access. This malware has become popular in the past 5 years. The Colonial Company has invited a third-party cybersecurity company to conduct an investigation and contacted law enforcement and other federal agencies to initiate an investigation. Colonial provided no further details or said how long their fuel lines would be closed. “Cyber vulnerabilities have become a systemic issue,” said Ms. Algirde Pipikaite, Head of Network Strategies at the World Economic Forum’s Cyber Security Center. Without measures to protect cybersecurity, attacks are occurring more often on industrial systems such as oil and gas pipelines or water treatment plants. In 2017, Colonial shut down its gas distillation and production lines during Hurricane Harvey that hit the Gulf Coast. That contributes to tight supply and price increases in gasoline in the US.
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