The largest fuel pipeline in the US restarted its entire system after a cyber attack a week ago, but said it will take several days for the supply chain to return to normal.

Colonial Pipeline Co. has started delivering gasoline, diesel and jet fuel to all the markets it serves, the pipeline operator said in a statement on Thursday, but some areas may experience service interruptions during the restart process.

The system, which transports products from Gulf Coast refineries as far north as New York, is running at less than half of capacity.

 

It emerged the operating company paid almost $5 million in untraceable cryptocurrency to Eastern European hackers last week to help get gasoline and jet fuel flowing again. 

 Fuel shortages from Florida to Virginia continue, and Colonial said its system is five days behind schedule.

In a message to filling stations, US President Joe Biden said in a White House briefing on Thursday, “Do not, I repeat, do not, try to take advantage of consumers during this time.”

The attack on Colonial occurred just weeks before the US Memorial Day holiday with many Americans expected to take to the roads and the skies after pandemic lockdowns.

A top US energy regulator said gaps in pipeline cybersecurity must be filled following the attack.

“We need to improve our cybersecurity standards and requirements to keep up with these evolving threats, especially as they relate to our critical infrastructure,” Neil Chatterjee, a commissioner and former chairman at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, said in a Bloomberg Television interview on Thursday.

(© Washington Post)