‘DarkSide’ criminal gang behind cyberattack on major US fuel pipeline, says FBI
- Largest fuel pipeline in US struggles to reopen after ransomware attack
- Criminal gang known as DarkSide believed to be behind attack, officials said
Colonial Pipeline, which delivers about 45 per cent of the fuel consumed on the East Coast, halted operations last week after revealing a ransomware attack that it said had affected some of its systems.
On Monday, US officials sought to soothe concerns about price spikes or damage to the economy by stressing that the fuel supply had so far not been disrupted, and the company said it was working toward “substantially restoring operational service” by the weekend.
Nonetheless, the attack underscored the vulnerabilities of the nation‘s energy sector and other critical industries whose infrastructure is largely privately owned. Ransomware attacks are typically carried out by criminal hackers who scramble data, paralysing victim networks, and demand large payments to decrypt it.
The Colonial attack was a potent reminder of the real-world implications of the burgeoning threat. Even as the Biden administration works to confront organised hacking campaigns sponsored by foreign governments, it must still contend with difficult-to-prevent attacks from cybercriminals.