Biden to step up cybersecurity after hackers hit vital oil pipeline

The Biden administration is to step up cybersecurity measures after a ransomware attack crippled the biggest oil pipeline on the American east coast.

n executive order is expected within weeks, instructing federal agencies and contractors to plug security gaps that have left them vulnerable to a wave of cyber attacks in recent months.

The latest assault, on the 5,500-mile Colonial Pipeline which provides nearly half the fuel used on the east coast, is thought to have been carried out by DarkSide, a cybercriminal group believed to operate between Russia and Eastern Europe.

It wrought havoc on the company’s computer network, forcing the shutdown of the pipeline, which runs from Texas to New Jersey.

It is feared the attack, one of the most damaging ever reported, could cause a further spike in fuel prices in the US, which have already been increasing in recent months.

Colonial, which normally carries 2.5 million barrels a day, serves consumers…