Charles Dharapak
The Biden team is not covering themselves in glory with how they are responding to the cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline.
One would think that it’s a rather significant threat to national security with a pipeline that serves 45% of the gasoline and other fuel used on the East Coast, As a result, the U.S. Department of Transportation declared a state of emergency on Sunday night.
But how did the Biden folks respond when queried? They were asked whether they thought the Colonial Pipeline should pay the ransom or what their advice had been to the company?
AP Photo/Andrew Harnik
The Colonial Pipeline which runs from Texas to New Jersey supplies 45% of the East Coast with gasoline and other vital fuel. As such, it is a vital supply line in our infrastructure. As we reported, its business systems came under a cyber attack on Friday, so the company shut down part of its pipeline operations while an investigation is ongoing into what systems have been affected by the attack. The attack is believed to be from a group of ransomware hackers known as Dark Side. One expert called it the “the most significant and successful attack on energy infrastructure we know of in the United States.” As a result, the U.S. Department of Transportation declared a state of emergency on Sunday night.
The Cybersecurity 202: An attack on a critical pipeline highlights the need for stronger ransomware policies washingtonpost.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from washingtonpost.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology Anne Neuberger and Homeland Security Advisor and Deputy National Security Advisor Dr. Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall speak about the Colonial Pipeline cyber attack during the daily press briefing at the White House on May 10, 2021 in Washington, DC. According to news reports, a criminal group from Russia named DarkSide is believed to be responsible for a ransomware cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
At a press conference listing all the actions taken thus far by the White House to respond to the ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline, officials acknowledged that the primary onus on protecting the country from attacks on critical infrastructure remains outside the White House s hands.
Biden Admin: Paying Ransom To Cybercriminals Who Hacked Colonial Pipeline A “Private Sector Decision”
May 10th 2021, 3:23 pm
Joe Biden s White House leaves pipeline company in the wind, returns to Obama s era of appeasing terrorists.
White House signals it won t go after hacking group for paralyzing America s major fuel distribution.
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Email
Yes, really.
In yet another signal that the Biden administration doesn’t have the backs of American companies, Deputy National Security Adviser for Cyber & Emerging Technology Anne Neuberger said Colonial has to consider “the cost-benefit” of paying ransom to the hackers to bring the pipeline back online.
“We recognize that victims of cyberattacks often face a very difficult situation,” Neuberger said. “And they have to just balance often the cost-benefit when they have no choice with regard to paying a ransom.”