There’s no reason to believe the group that attacked the Colonial Pipeline Company with ransomware gained access to its sensitive industrial control systems, federal agencies said in a joint advisory.
“In response to the cyberattack, the company has reported that they proactively disconnected certain [operational technology] systems to ensure the systems’ safety. At this time, there are no indications that the threat actor moved laterally to OT systems,” the advisory FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued Tuesday.
The attack on the pipeline, which the company revealed in a Friday press release, is drawing attention to the physical consequences of cybersecurity. With the company’s pipelines typically supplying almost half of the fuel to the East Coast, multiple states declared states of emergency as people waited in long lines to fill up their tanks. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm warned against price gouging and panic buying while administration officials have waived environmental regulations allowing the alternate transport of fuel on the interstate highway system. The Department of Homeland Security is also ready to consider waivers of the Jones Act, which requires maritime vessels transporting goods between U.S. ports to be built by U.S. citizens or permanent residents, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday.
“We are deeply concerned about the security of our nation’s critical infrastructure and the industrial control systems (ICS) that underpin many national critical functions,” members of the House Homeland Security and Transportation Committees said in a federal agencies evidence hackers affected colonial operational technology
