Holding tanks are seen at Colonial Pipeline’s Charlotte tank farm in North Carolina in an undated photograph. Reuters
ATLANTA: Top US fuel pipeline operator Colonial Pipeline worked on Sunday to recover from a ransomware cyberattack that forced it to shut down on Friday and sparked worries of a spike in retail gasoline prices.
Colonial said on Saturday it was “continuing to monitor the impact of this temporary service halt” and to work to restore service. It did not give an estimate for a restart date and declined further comment on Sunday.
The incident is one of the most disruptive digital ransom operations ever reported and has prompted calls from American lawmakers to tighten protections for critical US energy infrastructure against hackers.
Cyber attack shuts down major US fuel pipeline
May 9, 2021 5:10 PM PHT
Reuters
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 cyber attack on Friday, May 7, 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 gasoline pumps ahead of peak summer driving season, a potential blow to US consumers and the economy.