U.S. pipeline company halts operations after cyberattack

The impact of the attack on fuel supplies and prices depends on how long the pipeline is down.

The operator of a major pipeline system that transports fuel across the East Coast said on Saturday that it had been victimised by a ransomware attack and that it had halted all pipeline operations to deal with the threat. Colonial Pipeline did not say what was demanded or by whom, but ransomware attacks are typically carried out by criminal hackers who seize data and demand a large payment in order to release it. The attack on a pipeline operator, which says it delivers roughly 45% of all fuel consumed on the East Coast, underscored again the vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure to cyberattacks both by criminal hackers and U.S. adversaries. It presents a new challenge for an administration still grappling 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.