White House Issues Emergency Order After Russian Hackers Disable Major US Fuel Pipeline
The federal government issues an emergency declaration to ease fuel transport rules after a Russian cyberattack forces the Colonial Pipeline offline. The company plans a phased return to service by the end of the week.
The federal government issues a rare emergency declaration after a ransomware attack forces the largest fuel pipeline in the United States to shut down completely. The Russian cybercrime group DarkSide claims responsibility for the attack on the Colonial Pipeline and releases a statement claiming it is apolitical and does not intend to cause widespread societal disruption.
The Department of Transportation temporarily lifts federal regulations for fuel truck drivers across 17 states and the District of Columbia to help alleviate supply issues. This emergency order allows drivers to work longer hours with less required sleep to keep gasoline flowing to local stations while the main pipeline remains offline.
Colonial Pipeline states that hackers only breached its business networks and did not gain access to the physical infrastructure that controls fuel transportation. The company is currently executing a phased plan and hopes to restore full operations by the end of the week, though experts warn that a prolonged shutdown still threatens to push gas prices higher.