Cybersecurity Focus Shifts To Energy Infrastructure | Husch Blackwell LLP jdsupra.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from jdsupra.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
One of the nation’s largest pipelines, Colonial Pipeline, which carries 45 percent of the East Coast’s fuel supplies, was forced to shut down on May 7 after it was targeted by a ransomware attack. Ransomware is a type of malware where criminal groups encrypt data, effectively “holding it hostage,” until the victim pays a ransom.
Colonial Pipeline resumed operations on May 15. However, the cyberattack has sparked public panic and outcry as parts of the country experience fuel shortages and fuel prices rise to their highest levels in nearly seven years. The incident has also renewed efforts government-wide to strengthen security of U.S. pipelines and the power grid. On May 11, the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce reintroduced bipartisan legislation aimed at bolstering the Department of Energy’s (“DOE”) ability to respond to cybersecurity threats to U.S. energy infrastructure. Among the several measures introduced were:
Government Races to Secure Critical Infrastructure in Wake of Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack | Pierce Atwood LLP jdsupra.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from jdsupra.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Dive Brief:
Following the SolarWinds and Colonial Pipeline hacks, U.S. House lawmakers have reintroduced a series of bipartisan bills to strengthen the security of the energy sector, including a measure encouraging coordination between the Department of Energy and electric utilities.
Colonial, the largest mover of gasoline on the east coast, on Thursday said it had restarted its pipeline system following a ransomware attack that forced it to halt deliveries and led to gas shortages in some regions.
Energy lawyers say securing the grid must be a shared responsibility between industry and the federal government, and note the bipartisan nature of the proposals should not be overlooked.