Days after it was forced to shut down after falling victim to a ransomware attack last Friday, the Colonial Pipeline initiated a restart of pipeline operations Wednesday at approximately 5 PM ET.
“Following this restart, it will take several days for the product delivery supply chain to return to normal, a company spokesperson told SecurityWeek in a statement. “Some markets served by Colonial Pipeline may experience, or continue to experience, intermittent service interruptions during the start-up period. Colonial will move as much gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel as is safely possible and will continue to do so until markets return to normal.”
The attack, which involved the DarkSide ransomware, had significant implications, including states declaring a state of emergency, temporary gas shortages sparked by panicked motorists stocking up over fears of gas shortages caused by the hack, and gas prices rising.
Darkside has been linked to Russia, but the hackers said they only wanted to make a profit and denied any government ties. The Russian government has officially denied any involvement, but U.S. President Joe Biden said Moscow does have “some responsibility to deal with this.”
The Colonial Pipeline is the largest refined products pipeline in the United States, transporting more than 100 million gallons of fuel daily through a pipeline system that spans more than 5,500 miles between Houston, Texas and Linden, New Jersey.
Earlier today it was reported that an outside audit conducted three years ago on the Colonial Pipeline found “atrocious” information management practices and “a patchwork of poorly connected and secured system ..
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