US ‘red alert’ after malicious code attack on fuel system

America’s largest fuel pipeline system, operated by Colonial Pipeline, was forced to shut down its entire network after a cyber attack.

Colonial Pipeline had to shut down the entire network after a cyber attack. Photo: wsj.com The administration of President Joe Biden said it was making every effort to restore the company’s operations and avoid disruption to supply. Experts say gas prices will not be affected if the company resumes normal operations in the next few days. However, this cyberattack, rated as the worst ever for the US infrastructure system, should be a warning bell for other companies about the risk they will become the next target of similar attacks. According to Colonial Pipeline, the company’s pipeline carries gasoline and other fuels from Texas to the Northeast, providing nearly 45 percent of the fuel for the East Coast of the United States. Although Colonial Pipeline has not revealed who is responsible for the cyber attack, an unnamed person on the team investigating the incident confirmed that the culprit was a hacker group nicknamed Darkside. This group has been spreading ransomware since August 2020 and is classified as one of the most attackable groups. Over the past 3 years, Darkside has become more and more professional and has caused Western countries tens of billions of dollars in losses. Ransomware attacks are malicious code designed to lock down computer systems using encrypted data and demand a ransom to restore access. US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on May 9 warned US businesses to be wary of ransomware attacks. The female minister affirmed that she would work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to handle the issue, considering this a top priority of the government. Reuters news agency, citing a notice from the White House, said the administration was working to help Colonial Pipeline company resume operations to avoid supply disruptions. According to sources, before activating ransomware, hackers often steal data, which is used to blackmail businesses or distort the truth. Sometimes stolen data is more valuable to hackers than the benefit they get by disrupting business operations. Security experts say the attack is a warning to operators and managers of essential infrastructure in the US such as electricity, water, energy and transportation facilities that have long been built. do not update the method to ensure security against the risk of being attacked. Mr. David Kennedy, a senior security consultant and founder of the security consulting firm TrustedSec, admitted that ransomware attacks have spiraled out of control in the US and are currently under development. is one of the greatest threats facing the United States. However, most American companies lack the ability to prepare for such threats.