May 12, 2021

A recent ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline, the largest U.S. pipeline system for refined products, has caused the company to take many of its systems offline, rendering the company’s pipeline system inoperable.

Unnamed U.S. government and private security sources briefed by Colonial told CNN, The Washington Post and Bloomberg that the Russian criminal gang DarkSide was likely responsible for the attack.

A recent statement released by DarkSide in connection with the attacks on the Colonial Pipeline states that its main objective is to make money and not create problems for society. The group went on to say that it remains apolitical and does not participate in geopolitics.

Although it appears that the group never expected the impact of the Colonial Pipeline attack to generate much publicity, the group has recognized the importance of the company and in its recent statement assured that it will “check each company that our partners want to encrypt” in order to avoid “social consequences” in the future.

While Colonial Pipeline repairs its four main pipelines, which are still defective, the Biden administration has issued a Regional Emergency Declaration in response to the attack on the company.

The statement released on Sunday will allow for the alternative transport of oil products by tanker trucks to reduce the burden and impact of the attack.

Although the move will reduce the negative impact of the attack and the shortages to some extent, Gaurav Sharma, an oil analyst, told the BBC that it will not be enough to replace the pipeline’s lack of capacity.

For more information, read the original story in Arstechnica.