Operators of the trans-Alaska pipeline system said the company is in contact with federal law enforcement and other agencies about the Colonial Pipeline cyber attack to modify security systems as necessary.
âIn response to this specific incident, we are engaged with government agencies, law enforcement and industry partners to understand what occurred and make any necessary adjustments,â said Michelle Egan, chief communications officer at Alyeska Pipeline Service Co.
Egan said that making adjustments based on cyber risks and best practices is central to Alyeskaâs security program.
âCybersecurity is a very dynamic area that requires regular monitoring and adjustments, and that is a core part of our program,â Egan said.Â
UpdatedThu, May 13, 2021 at 2:38 pm ET
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Consumers can expect a small increase in shortages on Thursday followed by further recovery in the next 48 hours after Colonial Pipeline was hit by a ransomware attack. (Elizabeth Janney/Patch)
MARYLAND Spikes in gas prices were reported in Maryland and other areas after a cyberattack prompted a major gas pipeline shutdown.
Colonial Pipeline, which runs from New York to Texas and delivers 45 percent of fuel to the East Coast, shut down its main pipeline over the weekend as a precaution after the ransomware attack. It has since been reactivated.
Prices at the pump in Maryland have increased 10 cents in the past week, according to the Automobile Association of America.
UpdatedThu, May 13, 2021 at 11:37 am ET
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Colonial Pipeline, the major East Coast pipeline behind the gasoline shortages in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, is coming under scrutiny for its information technology and cybersecurity practices. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
VIRGINIA The major East Coast pipeline behind the gasoline shortages in the Southeast and mid-Atlantic is coming under scrutiny for its information technology and cybersecurity practices.
Colonial Pipeline revealed Friday that it had been the target of a cyberattack on its information technology system. The company said the hackers stole nearly 100 gigabytes of data and encrypted at least a portion of the company s information technology network.
Cyberattack exposes lack of required defenses on U.S. pipelines
The shutdown of the biggest U.S. fuel pipeline by a ransomware attack highlights a systemic vulnerability: Pipeline operators have no requirement to implement cyber defenses.
The U.S. government has had robust, compulsory cybersecurity protocols for most of the power grid for about 10 years to prevent debilitating hacks by criminals or state actors.
But the country’s 2.7 million miles (4.3 million km) of oil, natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines have only voluntary measures, which leaves security up to the individual operators, experts said.
“Simply encouraging pipelines to voluntarily adopt best practices is an inadequate response to the ever-increasing number and sophistication of malevolent cyber actors,” Richard Glick, the chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), said.
Georgia Pipeline Tried to Fill Cybersecurity Job Before Attack
In the weeks before Colonial Pipeline said it was hit by a ransomware attack, the Alpharetta-based company was trying to fill two security leadership positions, one of which was manager of cybersecurity.
May 13, 2021 •
Shutterstock (TNS) In the weeks before Colonial Pipeline said it was hit by a ransomware attack, the Alpharetta-based company was trying to fill two security leadership positions.
One was for a director of risk management. The other: manager of cybersecurity.
Georgia Tech s dean of engineering said he isn t surprised that Colonial had the openings. There is a significant shortage of cybersecurity professionals that understand energy, said Raheem Beyah, who is also an electrical and computer engineering professor.