Colonial Pipeline: America's Largest Fuel Pipeline Hit by Cyber-Attack

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A cyber-attack has never taken down a U.S. fuel pipeline quite as big as the Colonial Pipeline. It’s the nation’s largest gasoline, diesel and jet fuel system and a critical source of fuel supply for the U.S. Northeast.

But this isn’t the first time hackers have hit energy assets in America and beyond in recent years, at times disrupting services and upending operations.

“The ransomware attack on the #ColonialPipeline in the U.S. shows the critical importance of cyber resilience in efforts to ensure secure energy supplies,” Fatih Birol, the head of the International Energy Agency, said in a tweet. “This is becoming ever more urgent as the role of digital technologies in our energy systems increases.”

Two-Day Gas Outage

In February 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued an alert about a ransomware attack that brought down a U.S. natural gas compressor facility for two days.

The agency didn’t say which facility was targeted, when the attack occurred or who was behind it. But it did offer some details: Hackers sent emails with a malicious link, known as a phishing attack, to gain control of the facility’s information technology system.

It appeared likely that the attacker explored the facility’s network to “identify critical assets” before executing the ransomware attack, Nathan Brubaker, a senior manager at the cybersecurity firm FireEye Inc., said at the time. This tactic, which has become increasingly popular among hackers, makes it “possible for the attacker to disable security processes that would normally be enough to detect known ransomware indicators,” he said.

Pemex Systems Down
Mexico’s oil giant Petroleos Mexicanos reported a cyber-attack in November 2019 that crippled its computer systems. The company’s communication systems were affected for weeks afterwards.

For some employees, Internet access was limited, some computer files weren’t accessible and they had difficulty receiving external emails, people in Pemex’s finance, legal and refining departments said at the time. The hacker behind the attack tried to squeeze almost $5 million out of the company. Pemex at the time refused to pay the ransom.

Gas Communications Targeted
In April 2018, several U.S. natural gas pipeline operators including Energy Transfer Partners LP and TransCanada Corp. reported that a third-party electronic communications system had been hit with a cyber-attack. Five of the companies confirmed service disruptions from the hacking.

Though the cyber-attack didn’t disrupt the supply of gas to U.S. homes and businesses, it showed how even a minor attack can have ripple effects. The attack forced utilities to warn of widespread billing delays and made it difficult for analysts and traders to predict a key government report on gas stockpiles.

Ukraine Grid
In December 2016, hackers took down almost a quarter of Ukraine’s power grid. Officials blamed Russians at the time for tampering with the utilities’ software and then jamming the power companies’ phone lines to keep customers from alerting anyone.

The hack knocked out at least 30 of the country’s 135 power substations for about six hours. Cybersecurity firms working to trace its origins say the attack occurred in two stages. First, hackers used malware to direct utilities’ industrial control computers to disconnect the substations. Then they inserted a wiper virus that made the computers inoperable.

Saudi Aramco
In 2012, Saudi Arabia blamed unidentified people based outside the kingdom for a cyber-attack against state-owned Saudi Arabian Oil Co. that aimed to disrupt production from the world’s largest exporter of crude.

More than 30,000 computers were compromised or affected by a so-called “spear-phishing” attack, raising concerns about the threat hackers may pose to output at the company also known as Saudi Aramco. A spokesman for the Interior Ministry, declined at the time to identify any of the “several foreign countries” from which the attack originated.

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At 0:59, what do you mean $3 a gallon for the first time in 7 years? Going UP or going DOWN for the first time? Here in California, we always have gas prices ranging from $4 to $5 a gallon.

AdamIverson
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Just saw a news report on our local tv station that said gas is up $1.00 a gallon from a year ago. Standby for more gas price increases.

jdwfenton
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Colonial Had some dumb-ass worker click on a ransomware link, my company
had extensive training on how to avoid that! They sent out mock
phishing emails and anyone that clicked on more than one a month lost
their internet access! The system software shouldn't even be connected
to the internet! I fault them for making it accessible!

wallychambe
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They knew it was coming and yet they didn’t do anything about it complacent human beings

morgantkm
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This is just a tip toe in the cold water pool for what's coming. Ask a guy named kluse. Lol

joycejackson
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Hackers disrupting our economy, the government and our way of life needs to be the nation's top priority. Instead of extraditing these lowlifes, these threats need to be eliminated. These scums are worse than terrorists in my book

gataiamanu
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Time to pay for the 'free' stimulus (at the pump). NK, China and Russia to get the blame.

jaym
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What type of “FUEL” is transported by the pipelines. Is it natural gas or gasoline?

millenialbroadcast
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Find a safe way for computers to communicate duah

morgantkm
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Buy an electric car and gas prices in my town are $3.75 per gallon already.

morgantkm
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Yall put to much trust in this technology

Educationfirst-nu
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And just think this is just the start. Nancy and her worriers are just getting started .

starful
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Again stop been cheap and more reactive, companies don't want to hire spend the money on cyber security, rather hire a foreigner B1 visa to do the job.

yomocute
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How about they hit the credit 800 for everyone....lol

anthonyjones
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el águila Azteca 🦅🌎🦅 todavía no les entra ni la puntita del pueblo soy de guerrero señores y por culpa de chayoteros pagados PRI y PAN por United State me miran mis hijos 🐥 🌎 🐣

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