Cyberattack on US pipeline carried out by criminal gang: Report

The cyberextortion attempt caused a major US pipeline to shut down and the administration of US President Joe Biden to loosen regulations for the transport of petroleum products on highways as part of an ‘all-hands-on-deck’ effort to avoid disruptions in the fuel supply.

The cyberextortion attempt that has forced the shutdown of a vital United States pipeline was carried out by a criminal gang known as DarkSide that cultivates a Robin Hood image of stealing from corporations and giving a cut to charity, two people close to the investigation said Sunday. The shutdown, meanwhile, stretched into its third day, with the Biden administration loosening regulations for the transport of petroleum products on highways as part of an “all-hands-on-deck” effort to avoid disruptions in the fuel supply. Experts said that petrol prices are unlikely to be affected if the pipeline is back to normal in the next few days but that the incident — the worst cyberattack to date on critical US infrastructure — should serve as a wake-up call to companies about the vulnerabilities they face.