The Justice Department has a new task force dedicated to countering ransomware attacks. © 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Sometimes stolen data is more valuable to ransomware criminals than the leverage they gain by crippling a network because some victims are loath to see sensitive information of theirs dumped online. Ransomware intrusions that can reach those operational technology systems are far more rare than those that merely target IT networks. It said its main pipeline remains offline but some smaller lines are now operational. "I think Congress is going to have questions. That means, he argues, that the threat of cyberattacks on a pipeline presents a significant threat to the civilian power grid. Krebs added that the escalating ransomware attacks of Russian-based groups have created "a lot of frustration" to U.S. critical infrastructure operators. Israel answers barrage of rocket fire with deadly strikes on Gaza, Drivers scramble for gas as pipeline shutdown continues, Watch Live: Senate committee holds markup on voting bill, At least 9 killed in shooting at Russian high school, Large companies "rigged" CEO pay during pandemic, study claims, McCarthy sets vote to remove Cheney from House GOP leadership, Emergency use granted for Pfizer vaccine for kids aged 12-15, Baffert claims Kentucky Derby winner is "cancel culture" victim, 95-year-old becomes oldest organ donor in U.S. history, FBI identifies oil pipeline cyberattack hackers. © 2021 Condé Nast. The Department of Transportation issued a regional emergency declaration Sunday, relaxing hours-of-service regulations for drivers carrying gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other refined petroleum products in 17 states and the District of Columbia. First published on May 10, 2021 / 5:04 AM. It delivers roughly 45% of fuel consumed on the East Coast, according to the company. "Unfortunately, these sorts of attacks are becoming more frequent," she said on the CBS News broadcast "Face the Nation." Merely gaining broad access to the IT network could be cause enough for the company to shut down the pipeline's operation as a safety precaution, says Joe Slowik, a threat intelligence researcher for security firm Gigamon who formerly led the Computer Security and Incident Response Team at the US Department of Energy. Aside from the financial impact on Colonial Pipeline or the many providers and customers of the fuel it transports, Lee points out that around 40 percent of US electricity in 2020 was produced by burning natural gas, more than any other source. Photograph: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg/Getty Images . "I tend to think as sort of a rule of thumb that if a ransomware crew is operating successfully out of Russia, they at very least have the tacit approval of the intelligence apparatus within Russia for strategic benefit," Krebs said. The … "Once you can no longer assure positive control over the environment and clear visibility into operations, then you need to shut it down.". Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. A public-private partnership released recommendations last month, but any proposed solution would require buy-in from multiple government agencies and must contend with the fact that many of the most aggressive hacking groups appear to be located in countries like Russia, whose governments rarely prosecute—and often collaborate with—the hackers in their midst. "This is the largest impact on the energy system in the United States we've seen from a cyberattack, full stop," says Rob Lee, CEO of the critical-infrastructure-focused security firm Dragos. The average downtime for victims of ransomware attacks is 21 days, according to the firm Coveware, which helps victims respond. Debnil Chowdhury at the research firm IHSMarkit said that if the outage stretches to one to three weeks, gas prices could begin to rise. The Associated Press contributed to this report. It is the essential source of information and ideas that make sense of a world in constant transformation. "They have some responsibility to deal with this," the president said after delivering remarks on the economy. The operator of the biggest gasoline pipeline in the U.S. shut down operations on Friday following a ransomware attack. Share this … It says it remains in contact with law enforcement and other federal agencies, including the Department of Energy, which is leading the federal government response. While there is no evidence the Kremlin benefits financially from ransomware, U.S. officials believe President Vladimir Putin savors the mayhem it wreaks in adversaries' economies. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. In a statement, Colonial Pipeline said the attack took place Friday and also affected some of its information technology systems. Average ransoms paid in the U.S. jumped nearly threefold to more than $310,000 last year. Beard and … The cyberextortion attempt that's forced the shutdown of a vital U.S. pipeline was carried out by a criminal gang known as DarkSide that cultivates a Robin Hood image of stealing from corporations and giving a cut to charity, the FBI said Monday. There Are Concerns Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack Could Lead To Higher Prices At The PumpDays after the attack, which impacted a pipelines that … DarkSide is among ransomware gangs that have "professionalized" a criminal industry that has cost Western nations tens of billions of dollars in losses in the past three years. At the White House, President Biden told reporters Monday the U.S. intelligence community had no evidence the Russian government was involved with the Colonial attack, but Mr. Biden said there was evidence the ransomware was in Russia. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said Sunday that ransomware attacks are "what businesses now have to worry about" and that she will work "very vigorously" with the Department of Homeland Security to address the problem, calling it a top priority for the administration. Colonial didn't say whether it has paid or was negotiating a ransom, and DarkSide neither announced the attack on its dark web site nor responded to an Associated Press reporter's queries. The Pentagon's Defense Logistics Agency is monitoring inventory levels. What is Ransomware and How Do You Deal With It? Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said last week more than $350 million in victim funds were paid in 2020. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our lives—from culture to business, science to design. "The criminals are starting to think about targeting industrial, and in the last seven or eight months we've been seeing a spike in cases," says Lee. FBI identifies oil pipeline cyberattack hacke... September 2008 file photo shows traffic on I-95 passing oil storage tanks owned by the Colonial Pipeline Company in Linden, New Jersey. Top U.S. fuel pipeline operator Colonial Pipeline shut its entire network, the source of nearly half of the U.S. East Coast's fuel supply, after a cyber attack on Friday that involved ransomware. A hot potato: The 5,500-mile Colonial Pipeline has been offline for the last four days, after a ransomware attack compromised its computer network. "There is sufficient inventory on hand for downstream customers so there is no immediate mission impact," Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Monday. "Segments of our pipeline are being brought back online in a stepwise fashion, in compliance with relevant federal regulations and in close consultation with the Department of Energy," the company said in its statement Monday. A person close to the Colonial investigation, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity, said the attackers also stole data from the company, presumably for extortion purposes. On Saturday, the Colonial Pipeline company, which operates a pipeline that carries gasoline, diesel fuel, and natural gas along a 5,500 mile path from Texas to New Jersey, released a statement confirming reports that ransomware hackers had hit its network. minute read Write a comment. In that earlier pipeline ransomware attack, CISA warned that the hackers had gained access to both the IT systems and the "operational technology" systems of the targeted pipeline firm—the computer network responsible for controlling physical equipment. For years, the cybersecurity industry has warned that state-sponsored hackers could shut down large swathes of US energy infrastructure in a geopolitically motivated act of cyberwar. Photograph: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg/Getty Images, state-sponsored hackers could shut down large swathes of US energy infrastructure, digitally crippled and extorted hospitals, threatened to publicly out police informants, paralyzed municipal systems in Baltimore and Atlanta, first ransomware apparently custom-designed to cripple industrial control systems, spate of vulnerabilities in the VPNs companies use, Upgrade your work game with our Gear team’s. Even targeting a gas pipeline operator isn't entirely unprecedented: In late 2019, hackers planted ransomware on the networks of an unnamed US natural gas pipeline company, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency warned in early 2020—though not one of the size of Colonial Pipeline's. Iranian hackers have also been aggressive in trying to gain access to utilities, factories and oil and gas facilities. "The operator did the right thing in this case as a response to events," Slowik says. Nach einer Hackerattacke sah sich die US-Firma Colonial Pipeline gezwungen, die wichtigste Versorgungsleitung des Landes für Kerosin, Benzin und Diesel … Ransomware attack on major U.S. pipeline is work of criminal gang called DarkSide, FBI says. Author: Lisa Vaas. Commerce secretary: Economy has "long way to ... forced the shutdown of a vital U.S. pipeline, California Privacy/Information We Collect. The Department of Homeland Security began a "60-day sprint" to tackle the challenge of ransomware last month. A provider got hit with ransomware from a criminal act, this wasn't even a state-sponsored attack, and it impacted the system in this way? Colonial Pipeline, which is based in Alpharetta, had to shut down many of its operations due to the attack. "I think we will see a lot more.". Tulsa, Oklahoma, this week became the 32nd state or local government in the U.S. to come under ransomware attack, said Brett Callow, a threat analyst with the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft. The company hasn't said what was demanded or who made the demand. Georgia-based Colonial Pipeline said Monday it hopes to have service mostly restored by the end of the week. "This is creating a lot of frustration, a lot of harm to U.S. critical infrastructure and ultimately that aligns with the strategic objectives of those intelligence services.". The private company, which controls a … But now apparently profit-focused cybercriminal hackers have inflicted a disruption that military and intelligence agency hackers have never dared to, shutting down a pipeline that carries nearly half the fuel consumed on the East Coast of the United States. On Friday, Colonial Pipeline Company discovered that it had been hit by a ransomware attack. Ed Amoroso, CEO of TAG Cyber, said Colonial was lucky its attacker was at least ostensibly motivated only by profit, not geopolitics. The company was knocked offline on Friday by the activities of a cybercriminal gang with the result that the US Government issued emergency legislation on Sunday to relax rules on Colonial Pipeline's short public statement says that it has "launched an investigation into the nature and scope of this incident, which is ongoing." Hydro Norsk, Hexion, and Momentive were all hit with ransomware in 2019, and security researchers last year discovered Ekans, the first ransomware apparently custom-designed to cripple industrial control systems. When a key piece of infrastructure suddenly stops working, people notice. The Colonial Pipeline shutdown comes in the midst of an escalating ransomware epidemic: Hackers have digitally crippled and extorted hospitals, hacked law enforcement databases and threatened to publicly out police informants, and paralyzed municipal systems in Baltimore and Atlanta. "Obviously, we're coordinating with our interagency partners.". On May 8, the Colonial Pipeline Company announced that it had fallen victim to a ransomware attack a day earlier. Responsible for delivering gas, heating oil and other … Updated on: May 10, 2021 / 2:43 PM / CBS/AP But Lee says his firm has seen a significant uptick in ransomware operations targeting industrial control systems and critical infrastructure, as profit-focused hackers seek the most sensitive and high-value targets to hold at risk. The pipeline carries gasoline and other fuel from Texas to the Northeast. The Colonial Pipeline attack comes as the Biden administration works to pass a $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan aimed at addressing, in part, America's critical infrastructure vulnerabilities. DarkSide claims it doesn't attack hospitals and nursing homes, educational or government targets and that it donates a portion of its take to charity. The Colonial Pipeline, which delivers about 45% of the fuel used along the Eastern Seaboard, shut down Friday after a ransomware attack by … "Restoring our network to normal operations is a process that requires the diligent remediation of our systems, and this takes time," the company said in a statement. / CBS/AP. Ad Choices, The Colonial Pipeline Hack Is a New Extreme for Ransomware. In fact, ransomware operators have increasingly had industrial victims in their sights in recent years. Pipeline ransomware attack: US invokes emergency transport rules to keep fuel flowing. According to a report by the security firm Cybereason, Darkside has compromised more than 40 victim organizations and demanded between $200,000 and $2 million in ransom from them. @hmsjeffbair explains how the attack … The majority of ransomware victims never publicize their attacks. 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