US Homeland Security May Soon Require Pipeline Industry to Disclose Cyberattacks After Colonial Hack

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US Homeland Security May Soon Require Pipeline Industry to Disclose Cyberattacks After Colonial Hack

Earlier, a cyberattack against the Colonial Pipeline caused a series of setbacks that prompted not only gas shortages along the US East Coast, but also saw the average price for regular grade gasoline skyrocket past the $3 mark for the first time in years. The pipeline provides nearly half of the fuel that is typically dispersed to the region.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is expected to issue a directive sometime this week that will require all pipeline companies operating within the US to report any cyberattacks to federal authorities, it was revealed on Tuesday.

The move is being carried out in response to the hack that shuttered Colonial Pipeline operations and triggered a massive shortage in gas supplies along the entire East Coast. 

The Post, which notes that the agency had previously only offered voluntary guidelines for such instances, further indicated that the upcoming directive will see pipelines report any cyber incidents directly to a “cyber official” who will reportedly have a “24/7 direct line” to TSA authorities, as well as those with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

US Homeland Security May Soon Require Pipeline Industry to Disclose Cyberattacks After Colonial Hack

In an aerial view, fuel holding tanks are seen at Colonial Pipeline’s Dorsey Junction Station on May 13, 2021 in Washington, DC. The Colonial Pipeline has returned to operations following a cyberattack that disrupted gas supply for the eastern U.S. for days.

Looming regulations will effectively serve as a complete policy shift for federal authorities, as government officials previously relied heavily on working to combat cyberattacks as part of a collaborative initiative.

In a statement to The Hill, US House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) underscored that the Colonial Pipeline hack highlighted that “there is much more work to be done to protect the nation’s pipelines and other critical infrastructure from cyberattacks.”

The latest development follows earlier statements made by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, in which he indicated that the Biden administration would be cooking up a response to the Colonial Pipeline hack that would help officials combat and better address similar issues moving forward.

Colonial Pipeline operations were shuttered for a period of several days in the wake of a ransomware attack, later claimed by the cybercriminal group known as DarkSide. Although reports initially indicated that the pipeline’s operators would not be paying off the hackers, it was later confirmed by Colonial Pipeline CEO Joseph Blount that DarkSide had been paid some $4.4 million.

Sourse: sputniknews.com

US Homeland Security May Soon Require Pipeline Industry to Disclose Cyberattacks After Colonial Hack

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