Cyberattack shuts down major US fuel pipeline
Top US fuel pipeline operator Colonial Pipeline shut its entire network, the source of nearly half of the US 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 US energy infrastructure is to hackers. A prolonged shutdown of the line would cause prices to spike at the pumps ahead of peak summer driving season, a potential blow to US 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 MD of the Climate Policy Lab. “It’s not a major pipeline. It’s
By Stephanie Kelly and Christopher Bing
NEW YORK (Reuters) -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 that involved ransomware.
The incident is one of the most disruptive digital ransom operations ever reported and has drawn attention to how critical U.S. energy infrastructure is vulnerable to hackers. A prolonged shutdown would cause prices to spike at gasoline pumps ahead of peak summer driving season.
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. It serves some of the country’s largest airports, including Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson Airport, the world’s busiest by passenger traffic.
Knowns and unknowns about the hack at Colonial Pipeline by Reuters
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By Raphael Satter
WASHINGTON, May 9 (Reuters) - Ransom-seeking hackers have broken into Colonial Pipeline, prompting the company to shut one of America s major arteries for fuel delivery.
Here is a look at what we know, and what we don t, about one of the most disruptive digital shakedown efforts to hit a U.S. company.
WHO IS INVOLVED?
Alpharetta, Georgia-based Colonial Pipeline and the U.S. government have both blamed ransomware for the massive outage, pointing the finger at cybercriminal gangs who routinely hold data and computer networks hostage in exchange for digital currency payments.
Elise Evans, a long-time volunteer and former board president of Food Forest Collective, the nonprofit that manages the Beacon Food Forest, shared that the forest has helped in many ways with food insecurity.
âWeâre not a food bank,â she clarified, âbut we do something unique where we empower people to show up. We accept all volunteers who are kind and want to have a sense of purpose in growing food together. Itâs sort of a large-scale demonstration site. Anyone can do this in their ecosystem and weâre showing them how that can be done.â
The Beacon Food Forest in Seattle is mostly an open harvest site. Except for areas designated as food bank plots and City of Seattle P-Patches, they allow free foraging on-site. Over the past eleven years, theyâve seen successful results and havenât observed anyone âwiping outâ a harvest. Evans said: âIn the golden hour of the evening, we see many people on site harvesting food for their d
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