Security News > 2021 > May > Cyberattack Forces Shutdown of Major U.S. Pipeline
Colonial Pipeline halts all fuel pipeline operations in response to ransomware attack.
A cyberattack has forced an operational shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline, the largest refined products pipeline in the United States.
The Colonial Pipeline Company said late Friday that it was the victim of a cyberattack, sparking the company to proactively take certain systems offline and temporarily halt all pipeline operations.
"Colonial Pipeline is taking steps to understand and resolve this issue," the pipeline operator said in a statement.
The Colonial Pipeline is the largest refined products pipeline in the United States, transporting more than 100 million gallons of fuel daily through a pipeline system that spans more than 5,500 miles between Houston, Texas and Linden, New Jersey.
Following a review in how the TSA manages its pipeline security program, the GAO made a series of recommendations in December 2018 to address discovered weaknesses, which include updating pipeline security guidelines, planning for workforce needs, assessing pipeline risks, and monitoring program performance.