Colonial pipeline ransomware debacle holds lessons for the energy transition
Colonial pipeline ransomware debacle holds lessons for the energy transition
Cyberattacks are a fact of life. Decarbonisation must not compromise cyber security
Cyber threats are now a fact of life, and any company failing to prepare for them is failing in its fiduciary duties. The operator of the Colonial Pipeline and the US government both seem to have distracted from this point by deflecting attention onto DarkSide, the allegedly Russian state-backed cyber attacker that debilitated the critical fuel supply network for several days.
The Colonial pipeline expects to “substantially” restore operations by the end of this week after its data systems were encrypted and held to ransom. The company said it is dedicating “vast resources” to restoring operations – resources that might have been better spent on prevention.
The pipeline is the largest carrier of refined petroleum products in the country, connecting refineries along the Gulf Coast with more than 50 million consumers along the eastern seaboard. It carries 2.5 million barrels of diesel, heating oil, jet fuel and gasoline to hubs in New York, Atlanta and …