
The group posted a notice on the dark web that their motivation was “only to make money” and claiming it did not carry out the attack on behalf of a foreign government, according to a cyber counterintelligence firm. We continue to work with the company and our government partners on the investigation,” the FBI said in a statement. “The FBI confirms that the Darkside ransomware is responsible for the compromise of the Colonial Pipeline networks. The FBI confirmed Monday that a criminal group originating from Russia, named “DarkSide,” is responsible for the Colonial pipeline cyberattack. “When those companies are attacked, they serve as the first line of defense and we depend on the effectiveness of their defenses.”Īnne Neuberger, the top official responsible for cybersecurity on the National Security Council, said Colonial Pipeline had not asked for “cyber-support” from the federal government but that federal officials were ready and “standing by” to provide assistance if asked. “This weekend’s events put the spotlight on the fact that our nation’s critical infrastructure is largely owned and operated by private sector companies,” said Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, the White House domestic security adviser. Senior White House officials repeatedly said Monday their roles in addressing the latest ransomware incident were limited because Colonial Pipeline is a private company, even though it controls the gasoline supply to most of the eastern US. While the latest incident is believed to be tied to a criminal group, it underscores the cybersecurity risk to critical infrastructure and threatens to impact gas prices ahead of the summer travel season. It follows a string of other ransomware attacks and other high-profile and deeply damaging cyber breaches, including the SolarWinds related supply chain breach and the Microsoft Exchange Server hack – both tied to nation state actors. (AP Photo/Jay Reeves, File) Jay Reeves/APīiden administration scrambles to respond to cyberattack on critical pipeline The Georgia-based company has filed a federal lawsuit blaming an Alabama-based contractor, Ceco Pipeline Services, for the spill. facility in Pelham, Ala., near the scene of a 250,000-gallon gasoline spill caused by a ruptured pipeline. 16, 2016, file photo shows tanker trucks lined up at a Colonial Pipeline Co.
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The Colonial Pipeline attack comes amid rising concerns over the cybersecurity vulnerabilities in America’s critical infrastructure following a spate of recent incidents, and after the Biden administration last month launched an effort to beef up cybersecurity in the nation’s power grid, calling for industry leaders to install technologies that could thwart attacks on the electricity supply.įILE - This Sept. Ransomware gangs have also threatened to leak sensitive information in order to get victims to meet their demands. Ransomware locks out the rightful user of a computer or computer network and holds it hostage until the victim pays a fee. What is a ransomware attack and did this happen out of the blue? On Monday, Colonial acknowledged it will take time to restore all of its systems and said hopes to substantially restore operational service by the end of the week. Over the weekend, the pipeline operator began working to develop a restart plan for its pipeline system, and was able to start operations for some of its ancillary lines. RELATED: Biden administration scrambles to respond to cyberattack on critical pipeline The victim of the attack, Colonial Pipeline is a company that transports more than 100 million gallons of gasoline and other fuel daily from Houston to the New York Harbor. One of the largest US fuel pipelines remained largely paralyzed Monday after a ransomware cyberattack forced the temporary shutdown of all operations late last week – an incident that laid bare vulnerabilities in the country’s aging energy infrastructure.
