The weekend shutdown of a major US petroleum pipeline after a ransomware attack has highlighted the vulnerability of the country’s critical infrastructure, which has been the target of an increasing number of cyberattacks. The attack has also sparked concern about a potential gas shortage, leading to panic buying, even as federal and state officials warn against lining up at the pump to hoard fuel.
Colonial Pipeline, which operates the main gas artery along the East Coast, shut down the pipeline Friday after discovering ransomware on its computer systems. The FBI blamed the attack on a group called Darkside.
