Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

A ransomware attack has forced the shut down of the largest US fuel pipeline, which carries nearly half the fuel consumed by the East Coast

A ransomware attack has forced the shut down of the largest US fuel pipeline, which carries nearly half the fuel consumed by the East Coast

Colonial Pipeline said Saturday the cyber attack involves ransomware and it has hired a third-party security firm to investigate.
Colonial Pipeline, the largest US refined fuel pipeline operator, has shut down operations because of a cyber attack, the company said.

The incident involved ransomware, the company said on Saturday. It did not give further details of the attack or who who might have carried it out.

After learning it was "the victim of a cybersecurity attack," the pipeline operator on Friday took some systems offline, temporarily halting pipeline operations and certain IT systems. It also hired an outside cybersecurity firm, the company said in a statement.

"At this time, our primary focus is the safe and efficient restoration of our service and our efforts to return to normal operation," the statement said.

The company is the country's largest refined products pipeline operator, transporting more than 100 million gallons of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and home heating oil, daily through a pipeline system that spans 5,500 miles from Houston, Texas to the New York area.

Colonial's pipelines transport approximately 45% of all fuel consumed on the East Coast, according to its website.

Federal authorities and law enforcement have also been contacted about the attack, according to Colonial.

Cybersecurity experts have long warned that critical parts of the national infrastructure could be vulnerable to a cyber attack. The Biden administration last month rolled out an initiative to ramp up cybersecurity of the nation's power grid.

"Unfortunately, the cyber attack against Colonial Pipeline is only a teaser of the future of cyber attacks," said Grant Geyer, Chief Product Officer at industrial cybersecurity company Claroty. "As cyber criminals and foreign adversaries seek opportunities for financial gain and power projection, our national critical infrastructure is an easy target," Geyer said.

Ransomware is a kind of malware that can lock you out of your computer files unless you agree to pay a ransom fee. The attack is considered to be the most severe cybersecurity threat facing government agencies and private companies. Last year, criminals paralyzed thousands of companies and organizations by locking up their computer networks and demanding a ransom.

The incident comes as demand for travel, and fuel, heats up heading in to the summer months as more people get vaccinated for COVID-19 and pandemic restrictions are lifted. Colonial did not say how long it expects its operations to be shut down. A prolonged shut down could cause turmoil in fuel markets next week. Gasoline futures gained 0.6% on Friday.

The attack on Colonial follows a string of high profile breaches. SolarWinds, a Texas-based IT firm, was the subject of a cyberattack that went undetected for months — as a result of the hack, foreign attackers were able to spy on private companies as well as government agencies, including the Treasury Department and the Department of Homeland Security.

Earlier this year, thousands of organizations across the US were hacked through flaws in Microsoft's Exchange server email software.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Man Convicted of Fraud After Booking Over 120 Free Flights Posing as Flight Attendant
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Beata Thunberg Rebrands as Beata Ernman Amidst Sister's Activism Controversy
Hungarian Parliament Approves Citizenship Suspension Law
Prime Minister Orbán Criticizes EU's Ukraine Accession Plans
Hungarian Delicacies Introduced to Japanese Market
Hungary's Industrial Output Rises Amid Battery Sector Slump
President Sulyok Celebrates 15 Years of Hungarian Unity Efforts
Hungary's Szeleczki Shines at World Judo Championships
Visegrád Construction Trends Diverge as Hungary Lags
Hungary Hosts National Quantum Technology Workshop
Hungarian Animation Featured at Annecy Festival
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
UK and EU Reach New Economic Agreement
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
UK and EU Reach Agreement on Gibraltar's Schengen Integration
Israeli Finance Minister Imposes Banking Penalties on Palestinians
U.S. Inflation Rises to 2.4% in May Amid Trade Tensions
Trump's Policies Prompt Decline in Chinese Student Enrollment in U.S.
Global Oceans Near Record Temperatures as CO₂ Levels Climb
Trump Announces U.S.-China Trade Deal Covering Rare Earths
Smuggled U.S. Fuel Funds Mexican Cartels Amid Crackdown
Austrian School Shooting Leaves Nine Dead in Graz
Bezos's Lavish Venice Wedding Sparks Local Protests
Europe Prepares for Historic Lunar Rover Landing
Italian Parents Seek Therapy Amid Lengthy School Holidays
British Fishing Vessel Seized by France Fined €30,000
Dutch Government Collapses Amid Migration Policy Dispute
UK Commits to 3.5% GDP Defence Spending Under NATO Pressure
Germany Moves to Expedite Migrant Deportations
US Urges UK to Raise Defence Spending to 5% of GDP
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Low Turnout Jeopardizes Italy's Citizenship Reform Referendum
Transatlantic Interest Rate Divergence Widens as Trump Pressures Powell
EU Lawmaker Calls for Broader Exemptions in Supply Chain Legislation
France's Defense Spending Plans Threatened by High National Debt
European Small-Cap Stocks Outperform U.S. Rivals Amid Growth Revival
Switzerland Proposes $26 Billion Capital Increase for UBS
×