Cybersecuring the Pipeline
April 12, 2022
On May 7, 2021, Colonial Pipeline, which operates the largest fuel pipeline system in the United States, disclosed that it had suffered a cyberattack. Its business systems had been infected with ransomware, malicious software that locks systems until a ransom is paid, usually in the form of cryptocurrency. As a precaution, Colonial shut down its pipelines, severely limiting access to gasoline and jet fuel on the East Coast. It took several days until Colonial was able to resume normal operations. The event was the most significant ransomware attack to target U.S. energy infrastructure to date.
