Photo: Archive / Joe Raedle / Newsmakers / Getty Images
A cyber attack has led to a company that operates a major oil pipeline in the United States close its operations.
The Colonial Pipeline Company said in a statement that he learned on Friday that he was the victim of a cybersecurity attack, for which he “proactively disconnected certain systems to contain the threat, that has temporarily halted all pipeline operations and affected some of our IT systems ”, reported CBS News.
In an updated statement on Saturday afternoon, it said that it had “determined that this incident involves ransomware.”
In most cyberattacks of ransomware , hackers seize the data and demand a large payment to release it, although it is unclear what was taken or if any demands were made.
The breach appears to be an attack on the nation’s critical energy infrastructure.
The company describes its pipeline as “the largest refined products pipeline in the United States” and says it carries more than 100 million gallons of fuel through a pipeline system that spans 5, 500 miles between Texas and New Jersey.
Its importance is vital for the east coast of the country, since it is responsible for the 45% of fuel transportation in that area.
“Upon learning of the problem, a leading third-party cybersecurity firm was hired, and initiated an investigation into the nature and scope of this incident, which is ongoing “, said the company in its statement. contact with law enforcement and other federal agencies. ”
The company said it is taking me efforts to understand and resolve the problem and that their primary focus is the safe and efficient restoration of service “and our efforts to return to normal operation. ”
It is not clear who is behind the attack . Details of the incident are being investigated.
The FBI leads investigations into incidents of cyberattacks , but the infrastructure such as the pipeline is the responsibility of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), of the Department of Homeland Security.
Eric Goldstein, deputy executive director of CISA’s Cybersecurity Division, said in a statement that they were “committed with the company and our interagency partners regarding the situation. ”
“ This underscores the threat that ransomware poses to organizations regardless of size or industry. We encourage all organizations to take steps to strengthen their cybersecurity posture to reduce their exposure to these types of threats, ”said Goldstein.
The attack appears to be an IT attack, but it closed the pipeline, which is an OT system.
– Information technology (IT) includes all electronic data processing , information, record keeping, communications, telecommunications, account management, inventory management and other computer systems and Internet websites.
– Operational technology (OT) is hardware and software that detects or causes a change, through the direct monitoring and / or control of equipment, assets, processes and industrial events.
“OT systems are much more massive than IT systems, which are an environment conducive to adversaries who want to disrupt critical infrastructure systems in our country, ” said Donnan .” People must understand that cybersecurity is a business problem, not an IT problem. The net result of this attack could be a delay in the delivery of gas, which is a commercial problem. Cyber resilience programs must be implemented. ”
DHS Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas , qualified the ransomware as “an existential threat to one’s business” this week, and said more than $ 350 million in victim funding in 2020 as the attack rate of ransomware increased by 300% in the United States.