Cyber-Attack Shuts Down Biggest Gasoline Pipeline in US–Colonial Pipeline
NEW YORK Top U.S. fuel pipeline operator Colonial Pipeline has shut its entire network, the source of nearly half of the U.S. East Coast’s fuel supply, after a cyber attack that the company said was caused by ransomware.
The shutdown has raised fears of a price spike at the gas pumps ahead of peak demand summer driving season if it persists, and has drawn attention to how critical U.S. energy infrastructure is vulnerable to hackers.
Colonial transports 2.5 million barrels per day of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and other refined products through 5,500 miles (8,850 km) of pipelines linking refiners on the Gulf Coast to the eastern and southern United States.
The company shut down systems to contain the threat after learning of the attack on Friday, Colonial said in the statement. That action has temporarily halted operations and affected some of its IT systems, the company said.
Cyber attack shuts down top U.S. fuel pipeline network
05/08/2021 | 02:08pm EDT
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NEW YORK (Reuters) -Top U.S. fuel pipeline operator Colonial Pipeline has shut its entire network, the source of nearly half of the U.S. East Coast s fuel supply, after a cyber attack that industry sources said was caused by ransomware.
The company transports 2.5 million barrels per day of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other refined products through 5,500 miles (8,850 km) of pipelines linking refiners on the Gulf Coast to the eastern and southern United States.
Colonial shut down systems to contain the threat after learning of the attack on Friday, it said in a statement. That action has temporarily halted operations and affected some of its IT systems, the company said.
NEW YORK Top U.S. fuel pipeline operator Colonial Pipeline shut its entire network, the source of nearly half of the U.S. East Coast s fuel supply, after a cyberattack on Friday that involved ransomware. The incident is one of the most disruptive digital ransom operations ever reported and has drawn attention to how vulnerable U.S. energy infrastructure is to hackers. A prolonged shutdown of the line would cause prices to spike at gasoline pumps ahead of peak summer driving season, a potential blow to U.S. consumers and the economy. This is as close as you can get to the jugular of infrastructure in the United States, said Amy Myers Jaffe, research professor and managing director of the Climate Policy Lab. It s not a major pipeline. It s the pipeline.
05-08-2021
Oil storage tanks owned by the Colonial Pipeline Company in Linden, N.J. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
A major U.S. fuel pipeline operator had to shut down its entire network following a cyberattack, the company said in a statement. On May 7, the Colonial Pipeline Company learned it was the victim of a cybersecurity attack, the statement reads. In response, we proactively took certain systems offline to contain the threat, which has temporarily halted all pipeline operations and affected some of our IT systems. Upon learning of the issue, a leading, third-party cybersecurity firm was engaged, and they have already launched an investigation into the nature and scope of this incident, which is ongoing. We have contacted law enforcement and other federal agencies.