National Security Implications of the Colonial Pipeline Hack

This article appeared in Cybersecurity Law & Strategy, an ALM publication for privacy and security professionals, Chief Information Security Officers, Chief Information Officers, Chief Technology Officers, Corporate Counsel, Internet and Tech Practitioners, In-House Counsel. Visit the website to learn more.

It is difficult, if not impossible to think of a comparable cyber event to the one that effectively shut down the fuel pipeline that feeds over a third of the United States. The incident is unprecedented, and it is almost unfathomable that it occurred — despite warnings and longstanding fears about this very type of critical infrastructure incident. As the reports roll in of yet another critical widespread security incident, we are in the midst of a national cyber crisis, in addition to a border crisis, an economic crisis, and a winding pandemic. While we may have blueprints for the resolution of these other crises, things must urgently change on the cybersecurity front.