Pipeline hack update: Colonial reopens across the map, ransomware payment
Colonial Pipeline was the target of a ransomware attack that forced it to shut down operations.
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Colonial Pipeline, which shut down after a ransomware attack last week, said its entire system had resumed normal operations, a development that will help relieve concerns of a gas shortage along the East Coast of the US.
In a series of tweets early Saturday, the pipeline operator said it is “delivering millions of gallons per hour” to the markets it served. The company said it delivers 100 million gallons of fuel a day.
As we previously reported, Colonial Pipeline initiated the restart of pipeline operations at approximately 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 12. Since that time, we have returned the system to normal operations, delivering millions of gallons per hour to the markets we serve. pic.twitter.com/UJG7SqUxSQ
— Colonial Pipeline (@Colpipe) May 15, 2021
Colonial had been closed since last Friday, when a ransomware infection was found on its computer systems. The shutdown affected the supply of gas in parts of the East Coast, with some people waiting an hour or more at filling stations or not finding gas at all. State and federal officials had warned against hoarding and panic buying that could exacerbate the problem.
The ransomware infection at Colonial highlighted the vulnerability of the country’s critical infrastructure, which has been the target of an increasing number of cyberattacks. Cities, schools and hospitals have all been hit by cybercriminals, who scramble a victim’s computers and then extort a payment to decrypt them.
