The operator of a major gasoline pipeline in the U.S. shut down operations late Friday following a ransomware attack pipeline system that transports fuel across the East Coast. The attack is unlikely to affect gasoline supply and prices unless it leads to a prolonged shutdown of the pipeline, experts said.
Colonial Pipeline did not say what was demanded or who made the demand. Ransomware attacks are typically carried out by criminal hackers who seize data and demand a large payment in order to release it.
The company is the main source of gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel for the East Coast with a capacity of about 2.5 million barrels a day on its system from Houston as far as North Carolina, and another 900,000 barrels a day to New York. It presents a new challenge for an administration still dealing with its response to major hacks from months ago, including a massive breach of government agencies and corporations for which the U.S. sanctioned Russia last month.
President Joe Biden was briefed on the incident on Saturday morning, a White House spokesperson said and added that the federal government is working with the company to assess the implications of the attack, restore operations and avoid disruptions to the supply. The government is planning for various scenarios and working with state and local authoriti
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Read the original article: Ransomware Attack Shuts Down Top U.S. Fuel Pipeline Network