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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 cyber attack 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.
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Major US pipeline shut down after cyber security attack - World News sina.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sina.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
US government working to help top fuel pipeline operator after cyberattack
US government working to help top fuel pipeline operator after cyberattack
President Joe Biden was briefed on the cyberattack on Saturday morning.
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Photo for representation. Reuters
US government officials were working closely with top US fuel pipeline operator Colonial Pipeline on Sunday to help it recover from a ransomware cyberattack that forced the company to shut a critical fuel network supplying populous eastern states.
The attack is one of the most disruptive digital ransom operations reported and has prompted calls from American lawmakers to tighten protections for critical U.S. energy infrastructure against hackers. read more
Pipeline shutdown is sparking worries of a spike in gas prices cnn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from cnn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Texas pipeline shutdown sparking worries of spike in gas prices
There is currently no information on when service in the pipeline will be restored, and “the number of days that the line is out of service is critical,” Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis for the Oil Price Information Service, which tracks gas prices at 140,000 US stations, told CNN Business.
Colonial Pipeline executives have fully acknowledged the security breach, which has temporarily halted all pipeline operations and impacted IT systems.
“The greatest concern is in coastal states from Georgia north to the Delmarva Peninsula,” Kloza said. He pointed out that Northeastern supply can readily be supplemented with foreign imports of gasoline, but several other states don’t have that advantage. “Tennessee is also a primary supply concern, as it often runs out of gasoline during normal circumstances,” he said.