The administration of US President Joe Biden on May 9 declared a state of emergency to maintain a stable fuel supply, following a cyber attack on Colonial Pipeline – the company that operates the fuel pipeline. America’s largest.
A Colonia Pipeline fuel station. Photo: Getty Images The US Department of Transportation’s guidance notice emphasizes that this decision is in response to emergency conditions, stemming from the need for immediate transportation of fuel items, to relieve problems related to supply scarcity. Colonial Pipeline on May 9 also said that many of the company’s main operating pipelines are still closed, but some small lines connecting the supply station and distribution point have returned to normal operation. On May 7, Colonial Pipeline was hacked with ransomware, a type of code that locks systems by encrypting data and demands a ransom to restore access. The attack caused Colonia Pipeline to shut down the entire pipeline network. Colonial Pipeline transports gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other refined products from the Gulf of Texas to the densely populated East Coast of the United States through an 8,850-kilometer pipeline, serving 50 million customers. In areas affected by supply disruptions, fuel demand increased by 4% on May 8, prices also increased by more than 4.2%. The attack caused concern among US consumers about the scarcity of gasoline supplies if the problem is not fixed in time.
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