Colonial Pipeline resumes operations after hacking shutdown
Fuel began moving through the Colonial Pipeline late Wednesday afternoon, five days after hackers strangled the massive oil network that runs through the Southeast.
The Colonial Pipeline Company said it will be several days before the system is fully operational.
“Colonial will move as much gasoline, diesel and jet fuel as is safely possible and will continue to do so until markets return to normal,” the company said.
The massive oil distribution network, which transports nearly half the fuel used on the East Coast, was targeted by Russian hackers Friday.
The hack caused oil shortages throughout the region, fueled by people panic buying gas after learning about the shutdown.
Gas prices spiked and gas stations from Florida to West Virginia reported running out of gas. As of Wednesday afternoon, nearly two-thirds of gas stations in North Carolina and more than 40% of those in Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia were out of gas, according to GasBuddy, a travel and navigation app tracking gas data nationwide.
Russian hacking group DarkSide was responsible for the attack, the FBI said. The group is known for its ransomware attacks, in which it takes over a computer system, locks the owners out and demands payment in exchange for leaving.
The Colonial Pipeline Company shut down the pipeline as a proactive measure after the cyberattack. The company does not plan to pay the ransom, according to Reuters.
