Colonial Pipeline was the target of a ransomware attack. Bloomberg reported the hackers began their attack last Thursday by stealing about 100 gigabytes of data and threatened to release it and to do further damage if they weren’t paid. This lead Colonial Pipeline to shut things down to stop the malicious software from spreading.
Reports have stated that Colonial Pipeline has paid the hackers. They paid them with some sort of cryptocurrency. The shutdown of the pipeline led to a shortage of gas in several of the southeastern states. The pipeline is up and running again, but it does highlight a major vulnerability in the country’s in cyber security, especially for infrastructure and energy sources.
What is Ransomware?
Ransomware is a type of cyberattack where either hackers or a virus holds a computer system or certain data hostage. They either pay the ransom and the hackers allow them back into their devices or back into their data, or they don’t pay and they either destroy it, publish or sell the data, or otherwise just wreak havoc. Ransomware is targeted and is designed to get the hackers paid. Both individuals and companies fall victim to these attacks, and many pay the hackers to get their data back.
A ransomware virus is typically a trojan file. People download it and open it, either from a website or an in an email, but there are variants that are smarter and more aggressive that can, in a way, travel between computers on its own.
A Run On Gas
The closure of the pipeline led to a shortage of gas in the affected states. People were asked and warned not to try to stock up or there wouldn’t be enough to go around. Naturally, this led people to go and stock up on gas, leading to a shortage, just as was predicted. If you’re prepared, you don’t need to fear, and they weren’t. We recommend having a Fuel Storage so you’re prepared for this.
People Storing Gas Wrong During the 2021 Gas Shortage
People were scared following the pipeline shutdown announcement. With gas stations running out of gas and motivated by fear, people were going to extreme measures to try to stock up whenever they were able to find any gas. Below is just one example of a guy filling whatever containers he had. In the picture, we see him filling up several 5 gallon buckets. We also see some water storage containers in the back seat of his car. These look slightly better than his buckets, but gas cans are built to be able to store fuel storage. Put gas in containers built for the job, and learn to Store Fuel Safely.
Things Returning to Normal
It has been confirmed that Colonial Pipeline has paid the ransom to the hackers, and have been rebooting systems with their backups. They resumed operations on May 12th, just 5 days after it went down. The panic that the general public showed should stand as a warning to everyone, and a wakeup call. You need to have some fuel storage, and you ought to have alternative means of transportation (I love my electric bike). That being said, the pipeline is back to normal, and Congress is responding to help ensure this doesn’t happen again, though I doubt it’ll eliminate these threats.
Can Oil Pipelines be Shut Down Again?
Yes, oil pipelines can be shut down again, either by cyber terrorists, or physical terrorists. Companies are going to react to what has happened here, and may up their security, but cyber threats are ever changing. We improve security, but they improve their viruses, malware, and hacking. I recently read the book The President is Missing, where there is a cyber attack on the entire United States. This type of attack is possible, and could be done by more malicious groups than those just looking to make a quick 5 million dollars ransom. Be prepared.
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