The Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack was a major ransomware attack perpetrated against the oil and gas company, Colonial Pipeline, in 2021. Learn more about the specifics of the attack and how to prevent similar attacks below:
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What Is the Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack?
The Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack happened on May 6, 2021, and forced Colonial Pipeline to temporarily shut down 5,500 miles of pipeline. This ransomware attack led to severe issues with the oil and gas supply chain in different states, as Colonial Pipeline is a major oil and gas company on the East Coast of the U.S.
The company is responsible for the transportation of more than 2.5 million barrels per day of refined products, such as diesel, jet fuel, gas, and oil, through its pipeline network. It is estimated that about 45% of all fuel on the East Coast is transported by Colonial Pipeline.
Who Led the Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack?
The Darkside hacking group was responsible for the Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack. The hacking group infiltrated the Colonial Pipeline IT infrastructure and stole more than 100 GB of data. The company’s billing and accounting system was the primary target of the ransomware attack. Darkside threatened Colonial Pipeline, stating that if the ransom demand was not met, the hacking group would publish stolen data or continue to block access to data.
Colonial Pipeline paid $4.4 million in ransom to get their stolen data back from the Darkside group. Even though the ransom was paid in cryptocurrency, the Department of Justice was able to recover 64 out of the 75 bitcoins paid in ransom by “following the money.”
Impact and Aftermath
The Colonial Pipeline attack not only impacted fuel supply to different parts of the U.S. but also led to panic buying and spikes in fuel prices. The entire oil and gas supply chain was compromised as a result of this ransomware attack. Oil and gas refineries had to slow down production, as there was no way to transport the product to customers.
The decryption software Darkside provided to Colonial Pipeline after their ransom was paid worked very slowly. In response, the IT team at Colonial Pipeline used their own data backups to speed up the restoration process.
How Can You Prevent Attacks Like the Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack?
Users need to be vigilant and companies need to have resilient cybersecurity infrastructure to prevent attacks like the Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack.
Important steps toward infrastructural security include:
- Train employees to never click on unsafe links and to avoid opening suspicious email attachments
- Do not download files from unknown sources
- Get a full cybersecurity assessment from an expert firm to identify vulnerabilities in the system
- Develop a strong data backup system
- Periodically audit security logs
Read next: Top Vulnerability Management Tools
