Ransomware Attack Shuts Down Fuel Pipeline Supplying the East Coast

Colonial Pipeline reported a cyber-attack that resulted in a halting of their fuel pipeline operations to the East Coast per sources including this Bloomberg article originally posted on May 8, 2021. Just days before the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) called for a review of operational technology (OT) security in U.S. critical infrastructure operations.

“President Joe Biden, who’s spending the weekend at Camp David, was briefed on the incident Saturday morning, the White House said,” per the Bloomberg article. “Hacking threats to critical infrastructure have been growing, prompting the White House to respond last month with a plan to try to increase the security of utilities and their suppliers. Pipelines are a specific concern because they play a central role in so many parts of the U.S. economy.”

“Colonial is a key artery for the eastern half of the U.S. It’s the main source of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel for the East Coast with its system from Houston as far as North Carolina, and New York.”

The largest in the U.S., Colonial Pipeline transports 2.5 million barrels or 100 million gallons per day of refined petroleum products or nearly half of the East Coast’s fuel supplies. Per Bloomberg, Colonial Pipeline reported its 5,500-mile pipeline operation was at a standstill.

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Current Situation – What We Know

Confirmed in statement on the Colonial Pipeline website:

• The Discovery: Colonial Pipeline learned they were the victim of a ransomware cyber-attack on May 7, 2021.

• Impacted Systems: All pipeline operations were stopped by Colonial Pipeline to contain the threat. Some IT systems were also affected.

• Remediation and Recovery Efforts: Colonial Pipeline is currently working with a third-party cybersecurity firm, reportedly FireEye, to investigate the attack and is taking steps to understand and resolve the (Read more...)