FBI confirms cyber attack on US pipeline

The cyber extortion attempt that has forced the shutdown of a vital United States pipeline was carried out by a criminal gang known as DarkSide, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confirmed on Monday.

“The FBI confirms that the Darkside ransomware is responsible for the compromise of the Colonial Pipeline networks,” said a statement issued by the bureau. “We continue to work with the company and our government partners on the investigation.”

The shutdown, meanwhile, stretched into its third day, with the Biden administration loosening regulations for the transport of petroleum products on highways as part of an “all-hands-on-deck” effort to avoid disruptions in the fuel supply.

Experts said that petrol prices are unlikely to be affected if the pipeline is back to normal in the next few days but that the incident — the worst cyber attack to date on critical US infrastructure — should serve as a wake-up call to companies about the vulnerabilities they face.

The pipeline, operated by Georgia-based Colonial Pipeline, carries gasoline and other fuel from Texas to the Northeast.

It was hit by what Colonial called a ransomware attack, in which hackers typically lock up computer systems by encrypting data, paralysing networks, and then demanding a large ransom to unscramble it.

Credit: aljazeera.com

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