Posted on 05/12/2021 1:37:01 AM PDT by Enlightened1
Colonial Pipeline, the largest gas pipeline in the United States, temporarily shut down its operations on Friday following a ransomware attack.
A major distributor of fuel from U.S. Gulf Coast refineries to the Atlantic Coast and into New York Harbor, Colonial Pipeline has 5,500 miles of pipeline and transports 45 percent of the fuel distributed on the East Coast.
The incident underscores the need for oil and gas providers, utility providers, and other owners of critical infrastructure to monitor both their information technology (IT) networks (think business functions like email and billing) and their operational technologies (OT) networks (controlling the actual functioning of the networks that deliver goods like electricity and natural gas), as well as the connections between these networks.
What We Know About the Attack
In a statement published Saturday, Colonial Pipeline said a ransomware attack infected its IT network. As a precaution, the company also shut down all its pipeline operations, including its OT network- a separate network that controls its pipelines and distributes fuel.
As described by Kim Zetter, Colonial’s OT network uses automation systems to control and monitor the flow of fuel from refineries and tank farms into Colonial’s pipeline and from Colonial’s pipeline into the tanks and transportation facilities belonging to suppliers and distributors. Data collected by these “flow computers” on the OT network is sent to Colonial’s IT network so that Colonial can bill suppliers and distributors for the fuel they receive.
Connecting IT and OT networks performs a critical business function for Colonial (and other critical infrastructure providers) by enabling timely and accurate billing for fuel. However, that same connection could allow ransomware or another security compromise to compromise OT systems. That possibility led Colonial to halt pipeline operations.
What does this attack mean for pipeline operators and other owners and operators of critical infrastructure?
Last year, in the wake of a ransomware attack on the OT systems of a natural gas compression facility, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an alert warning operators of how hackers can move between IT and OT networks and disable assets on both networks. CISA recommends that pipeline operators consider several actions to prevent or limit these risks.
These include:
Our Privacy, Cybersecurity and Data Management Team will continue to monitor the latest developments on this ransomware attack, and provide insights on the efforts of critical infrastructure organizations to build resilience and improve their security programs.
They did it as a precaution because of the attack. They said they will bring it back up in a week.
Remember the only time the media tells you the truth is when telling sport scores and next day weather. That's it. In the meanwhile, the Sheeple freak out and top of their gas tanks on everything.
“In a statement published Saturday, Colonial Pipeline said a ransomware attack infected its IT network. As a precaution, the company also shut down all its pipeline operations, including its OT network- a separate network that controls its pipelines and distributes fuel.”
“Connecting IT and OT networks performs a critical business function for Colonial (and other critical infrastructure providers) by enabling timely and accurate billing for fuel. However, that same connection could allow ransomware or another security compromise to compromise OT systems. That possibility led Colonial to halt pipeline operations.”
So Colonial has it within their power to restore the pipeline. They just don’t want to risk their IT and OT networks from being hit and not allowing them to accurately bill the provider
One of the Software Engineering VPs who did not block their LinkedIn at Colonial Pipelines is Indian. I’m guessing most of his staff is. (A majority of their staff is now hiding behind “LinkedIn Member”)
This is what you get when you hire unqualified Indian H1Bs instead Americans to maintain critical systems.
Bingo!
Grocery store shelves will be empty by the weekend...
Anybody who doesn’t realize that this is just a follow up by the chicoms to their virus sneak attack is a typical member of the sheeple flock of numb nuts...
The communists, both the ones inside the country who now rule us and those external to the country (chicoms) are having a field day...
The nation is totally undefended...
How does it feel, America?
Dug yourself into a hell of a hole...
Bet you one of Colonial’s employees clicked on a “phishing” email.
It’s a good thing all these pipelines were built before ass hat 🎩 Biden got in there, or he would have canceled them all. He is an ass hat 🧢
The CIO’s profile was pubic for a good while early on. I’m sure many have it.
FWIW
It was done by the government to introduce artificial scarcity, to ruin states easing up on dictatorial restrictions, thereby screwing over the lives of millions of people.
Look at what states are affected.
Colonial shut down flow because billing customers might not work? Then do it manually. Hire employees to read tank levels at the tank.
Proofread proofread proofread before hitting post.
They have no concept of "truth", and they're stupid - both. Half of what they tell you is a lie; the other half is wrong because they're too stupid (or ignorant) to understand what they're reporting on.
Anthony Weiner style? ;-)
“Anybody who doesn’t realize that this is just a follow up by the chicoms to their virus sneak attack is a typical member of the sheeple flock of numb nuts.”
Another likely suspect is Iran. They are upset with the sanctions and impatient that the man they rooted for in the election has not brought in pallets of cash and agreed to drop all sanctions and help Iran develop bombs. It could also be some kid in his parent’s basement who wants racial equality, or something.
The Soviet Union’s cyber warfare unit, originally based in Moscow, took up crime when the paychecks stopped. Then, during the chaos that followed, they moved operations to a building next to Chinese state security in Beijing. Mostly, they’ve attacked banks, grocery stores and credit card companies. But, pipelines are probably in their repertoire.
Stereotypes weren’t usually made up. One bad apple does spoil the whole bunch.
maybe I worded it wrong...
How about... People should have been good with being labeled as Racist years ago...”
CIO made a really bad decision outsourcing IT to Indian body shops instead of hiring Americans.
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