US infrastructure is vulnerable to Chinese cyberattack, officials warn
Newsy
Digital interconnection has revolutionized our lives, but with it come vulnerabilities that can be exploited on a national scale.
The digital age revolutionized life on Earth and connected people in ways never seen before. With that connection, though, come vulnerabilities that can be exploited and potentially affect critical infrastructure in America — everything from the safety of the water we drink, to how we get around.
Americans love their vehicles: More than 115 million cars and trucks hit the road in the U.S. every day.
What if suddenly, though, there was no gasoline to be found?
That is what happened at some gas stations in 2021. Long lines of cars and fuel shortages greeted drivers across multiple states, after a ransomware cyberattack disabled the Colonial Pipeline. It's a more than 5,000-mile-long system that carries gas used by tens of millions of drivers.
"Colonial Pipeline is the biggest one of those transport routes," said Jim Krane, a fellow in energy studies at Rice University. "It takes about 2.7 million barrels a day of refined products from Texas to the Northeast."
