Ransomware attack halts major US fuel pipeline
A major US pipeline operated by Colonial Pipeline came under a ransomware attack Saturday, according to the company.
The pipeline that came under attack by the unknown hackers is responsible for delivering 45% of the fuel used by the East Coast, according to the Associated Press.
This attack went after information technology systems, according to Colonial Pipeline, and the company moved “proactively” to prevent any further attacks from taking place. The company previously said that it was “taking steps to understand and resolve this issue.”
President Biden was briefed on the issue on Saturday morning and the White House confirmed that the federal government was working with the Georgia-based company to investigate what possible vulnerabilities were exposed by the attack and to help resume oil being pumped through the nearly 5,500 mile pipeline.
This is the latest attack to expose weaknesses in the U.S. energy infrastructure, and the fear of similar attacks has worried officials for a long time. To help combat these fears, the Justice Department established a new task force to tackle these issues.
This recent attack, “underscores the threat that ransomware poses to organizations regardless of size or sector,” said Eric Goldstein, executive assistant director of the cybersecurity division at the federal Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency said in a statement. “We encourage every organization to take action to strengthen their cybersecurity posture to reduce their exposure to these types of threats.”
With Wire News Services
