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A critical U.S. fuel pipeline has been shut down following a cybersecurity attack on Friday, in an incident that highlights vulnerabilities in U.S. critical infrastructure.
Colonial Pipeline, the largest refined pipeline in the United States, went offline after its operator said Friday it had been “the victim of a cybersecurity attack.”
“In response, we proactively took certain offline systems to contain the threat, which has temporarily halted all pipeline operations and affected some of our IT systems,” the Colonial Pipeline Company said. He added that he had hired a third cyber security company to investigate the incident and contacted law enforcement and federal agencies.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Energy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The attack comes amid growing concerns about cybersecurity vulnerabilities in America’s critical infrastructure following last year’s SolarWinds attack, in which Russian hackers entered the U.S. trade and treasury departments. United States, among other government agencies.
Colonial Pipeline did not say how long the suspension of operations would last nor did it provide further details about the nature of the attack.
The Colonial pipeline transports more than 100 million gallons of fuel daily, supplying markets such as Atlanta, Washington and New York with refined fuel on the Gulf Coast of Mexico, according to the company.
The pipe close much of its network in 2017 after Tropical Storm Harvey. There was also part of the duct disconnected in 2016 after discovering a leak.
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