Colonial Pipeline Details

Colonial Pipeline

Alpharetta, Georgia • employees • Oil & Gas

Industry

Oil & Gas

Security Incidents

The Colonial Pipeline is the largest pipeline system for refined oil products in the U.S. The pipeline – consisting of three tubes – is 5,500 miles long and can carry 3 million barrels of fuel per day between Texas and New York.

Security Incidents

Colonial Pipeline Breach of May 2021

Severity Score

Significant

Type

Ransomware Attack

Summary

In May 2021, Colonial Pipeline, the largest fuel pipeline in the United States, suffered a significant ransomware attack carried out by the cybercriminal group DarkSide. The breach led to the shutdown of the pipeline's operations, causing widespread fuel shortages and disruptions across the Eastern Seaboard. DarkSide managed to infiltrate Colonial Pipeline's IT network, encrypting data and demanding a ransom payment to restore access. Colonial Pipeline ultimately paid approximately $4.4 million in cryptocurrency to the attackers to regain control of their systems. The incident highlighted vuln...
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Severity

The Colonial Pipeline cyber security incident of May 2021 was severe as it forced the shutdown of one of the nation's largest pipelines that carries refined gasoline and jet fuel from Texas up the East Coast to New York. The ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline's corporate computer networks highlighted the vulnerability of energy infrastructure to cyberattacks, impacting 45 percent of the East Coast's fuel supplies.

Impact

The breach had a significant impact due to the economic consequences it could have as the Colonial Pipeline delivers nearly half of the diesel and gasoline consumed on the East Coast. The shutdown of such a vital pipeline disrupted fuel supplies and raised concerns about the vulnerability of aging infrastructure connected to the internet.