Massive pipeline may be shut down for days following cyberattack

[Rams]

Massive pipeline may be shut down for days following cyberattack

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/massive-pipeline-may-be-shut-down-for-days-following-cyberattack/vi-BB1gz3kP?ocid=msedgntp

This is likely to affect all of us to some point, fuel prices have already started to climb from this event adding to the already existing price increases due to other pipe line decisions resulting in shutting them down.    But, just as important, this cyber attack resulting in the shut down of a major transportation source of fuels also highlights how this nation could be strangled by someone with a keyboard for a weapon.   Such individuals, groups or nations have found a security weak spot.   

We should all be concerned about this threat.   The same thing could happen to our electrical grid and if it was all tied together with a effort like this on the pipeline, we'll all be up a creek with only a paddle.

Rams

[0leman]

Our local hospital got hit 6 months ago, one of those if you want to have files back pay up things.   The IT folks told them to go to H3LL and wiped the system and  recreated it.  They had clean backups and could tell when the hack happened.   They also did a real good training system with users.  I got a lot more info on the local hack as SIL is one of the IT guys there.

I do feel for your folks in the Northeast as gas prices will rise till they get the computers back on line. All it takes is one individual opening up an email or going to a bad website to get a system compromised. 

[Jess from VA]

Bring back summary executions.  (but make sure you have the right guy first)

[cookiedough]

I do feel for your folks in the Northeast as gas prices will rise till they get the computers back on line. All it takes is one individual opening up an email or going to a bad website to get a system compromised. 

Yep,  past employer, an employee opened up an email and shut certain systems down for a few weeks, not good.  Even an Accounts Payable clerk accidentally paid a MADE UP invoice looked real, etc. to the tune of 100K and although he got into BIG trouble for it,  he never got fired over it.  Cyber attacks can be devastating.  Every few months the IT dept use to send us MADE UP emails and instead of opening them up, we had a PHISHING ALERT button we are suppose to push if see the ODD email.  If we open the FALSE email up that IT sends us,  we have to go thru TRAINING online.  I did that once and boss not liked me for opening up the email, oopss.....

[scooperhsd]

The Colonial Pipeline is one of the major routes of petroleum products to the East Coast. They really should have more secure comms (VPN, air gapped from the internet would be better).

[cookiedough]

sure hope gas prices do not go over 3 bucks per gallon this summer, but am pretty sure they will in most of the United States.   Once gas peeked a few years ago at 4 bucks per gallon, that HURT filling up any vehicle for sure that in insane pricing IMO. 

[scooperhsd]

I don't remember - but it was certainly possible.

[Wizzard]

I usually save all the viruses and hacks in a quarantine file then when I get a suspected hack email or Phishing email I zip up that folder, attach it and send it back to them. I do not get much spam at all.

[old2soon]

       Jess-while on the surface It DO Sound like a good idea your former profession would NEVER Allow that to happen sad to say. And we both KNOW that. I also feel once they-I T types-delve into this they Will trace it to a country NOT on our-U S of A-favored nations list. Bret-probabaly something similar happened on Trumps watch but guessin here it Was caught Way Quicker than the current deception central admin care to admit too. Thinkin here the hackers may sooner or later be tracked but most likely not as Quickly as we'd like to see that happen.   Also thinkin here current admin in deception central could Care LESS no matter how high dino fuel costs rise. RIDE SAFE.

[pais]

Back in late Feb or early March there was a cyber attack on a Fla. water treatment plant's SCADA(Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) system. Dosing of the Sodium Hydroxide was altered. Fortunately an employee caught it before something catastrophic happened.

[Bret SD]

sure hope gas prices do not go over 3 bucks per gallon this summer, but am pretty sure they will in most of the United States.   Once gas peeked a few years ago at 4 bucks per gallon, that HURT filling up any vehicle for sure that in insane pricing IMO. 

Pfffttt.. prices here are increasing daily, hard to find regular gas below 4.00

[hubcapsc]

The Biden Administration should be putting money into shoring up cyber
vulnerabilities, but instead it’s using the “infrastructure” label to remake the
energy economy, squeeze fossil fuels, and make the grid more vulnerable, not less.

Hip! Hip! Hurrah for democrats!

-Mike

[..]

Some gas stations are dry in Maggie Valley.

[..]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9564719/Gingrich-calls-Biden-order-KILLINGS-Colonial-Pipeline-cyberattack.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9564961/Hackers-launched-cyberattacks-24-companies-Colonial-Pipeline-shutdown.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9562587/DarkSide-hackers-Colonial-Pipeline-attack-style-Robin-Hood.html

[Serk]

If a pipeline can be hacked, so can an election...

...just saying.

[..]

Some gas stations are dry in Maggie Valley.

EDIT

Most gas station are dry. Diesel only.

[F6Dave]

If a pipeline can be hacked, so can an election...

...just saying.

Newt said just that on Fox last Sunday.  It isn't getting much coverage.

[F6Dave]

The oil and gas company I worked for was hit with a ransomware attack a few years ago. It came from a contractor's PC. He was working remotely and had access to several shared drives. I don't think the attacker realized it had replicated to our systems as we never got a ransom message, but we noticed some encrypted files and shut things down. We had nightly backups and were able to restore everything, but it took a few days to get it all back to normal. Afterwards the system IT guys followed the usual script and implemented draconian security measures.

Interestingly the high end security software suite we'd licensed couldn't even find the malware, but Malwarebytes did.

[Rams]

If a pipeline can be hacked, so can an election...

...just saying.

Newt said just that on Fox last Sunday.  It isn't getting much coverage.

A biased media has a reason to not spread such an opinion.   Regardless of it's potential truth.

Rams

[F6Dave]

Is there a pattern we should be concerned about here:

• Electricity blackouts in California last summer.
• Electricity blackouts in Texas in February.
• Gasoline shortages in the Eastern US in May.

It appears that without energy, and fossil fuels, things tend to fall apart.

[F6Dave]

If a pipeline can be hacked, so can an election...

...just saying.

Newt said just that on Fox last Sunday.  It isn't getting much coverage.

A biased media has a reason to not spread such an opinion.   Regardless of it's potential truth.

Rams

The left may not like Newt, but they've never branded him as a guy who spreads conspiracy theories. That could change after what he said on Sunday.

[scooperhsd]

Some gas stations are dry in Maggie Valley.

EDIT

Most gas station are dry. Diesel only.

One GOOD thing about driving diesel powered vehicles - fuel availability and many of them have better range than their gas powered counterparts. (Owner of TWO diesel powered VW's - one that has made 700 miles on ONE tank (think Jacksonville FL to DC)).

[scooperhsd]

If they don't get that pipeline up shortly, they may have to start trucking the fuel.

There is another pipeline that roughly parallels the Colonial, but obviously it can't suddenly double the amount of petro products delivered.

Not only Gas and diesel, but also Jet Fuel and AvGas, and probably some others that I'm not aware of.

[F6Dave]

Just remember, the goal of Joe's green new deal policies is to shut down these pipelines permanently.  Then you might be able to fuel you electric car between the rolling blackouts.

[..]

Some gas stations are dry in Maggie Valley.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it was waiving volatility requirements governing gasoline in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., through May 18.

Read more at: https://www.bloombergquint.com/politics/biden-waives-some-gasoline-mandates-to-address-fuel-shortages

[hubcapsc]

If they don't get that pipeline up shortly, they may have to start trucking the fuel.

There is another pipeline that roughly parallels the Colonial, but obviously it can't suddenly double the amount of petro products delivered.

Not only Gas and diesel, but also Jet Fuel and AvGas, and probably some others that I'm not aware of.

...the Biden administration issued an emergency waiver extending hours for
truck drivers delivering fuel across 17 states, including several across the Southeast.

-Mike

[signart]

The shortage, long lines, and rationing will be just like the toilet paper fiasco, and for the same reason - PANIC!
Remember in the debates, Joe told Trump,  "Americans don't panic".
Trump could have won the election if he had said "Bought any toilet paper lately, Joe?"

[carolinarider09]

Sorry guys, I have to ask the question.  I am currently in middle Mississippi.  I have been on the road only two days and have yet to experience any fuel shortage issues.  I stay away from the big cities. 

My question is, should I be worried about finding enough gas to complete my planned trip?  I can stop now and head back east. or keep going.   

As I said I have not seen any shortages. 

However, just saw Britman's post about Maggie Valley being out of gas.  Just don't want to get stuck somewhere. 

What triggered this was a friend saw a post and said he hope we could find the gas to get home. 

[hubcapsc]

What triggered this was a friend saw a post and said he hope we could find the gas to get home. 

I bet you're seeing plenty of gas since you're not on the east coast. Fill up on the
way home whenever you come, and then fill up again along the way if you see that you
can. When you get here (for a few days, anyhow) is when you won't be able to find gas.

I was out a couple of times today and saw crowds at gas stations. On the way home
from my last trip, I stopped at a local big chain, and they had bags on the pumps...

-Mike

[carolinarider09]

Thanks for the feedback Mike. 

I will do that.  I have been filling up more frequently, at least today. 

The thing of interest (well at least for discussion) is that I just saw the route for the pipeline and it runs where I am traveling. 

But, now that I think of it, the gas is going north from the south where I am....... or was going north. 

[hubcapsc]

I guess you're right... better keep on getting it while you can!



-Mike

[Serk]

Prices raising even here in The Republic, so I went ahead and stocked up, have a bit of a stockpile now...

[old2soon]

        wally wurld-murphy-Mountain grove Mo. was rather busy this early P M But they Did have gasoline. But like everywhere else it was going up on price per gallon!  RIDE SAFE.

[scooperhsd]

Thanks for the feedback Mike. 

I will do that.  I have been filling up more frequently, at least today. 

The thing of interest (well at least for discussion) is that I just saw the route for the pipeline and it runs where I am traveling. 

But, now that I think of it, the gas is going north from the south where I am....... or was going north. 

If you can hold off heading east until Sunday at the earliest, keep going west. If you HAVE to head east now- have some plans for staying a couple days until they get the pipeline going again if you're on a MC. 4 wheeled vehicle - if you can fill up when you're within a tank of making home  - you're good.

[Jess from VA]

Prices raising even here in The Republic, so I went ahead and stocked up, have a bit of a stockpile now...

Bags of gasoline?    

That's completely safe.    

Feeling pretty good with my regular (no corn) gas storage, and (almost) full truck.

[Avanti]

Prices raising even here in The Republic, so I went ahead and stocked up, have a bit of a stockpile now...

Better keep your cigar smoking to a minimum or at least to a somewhat safe distance.

[carolinarider09]

Thanks for the feedback Mike. 

I will do that.  I have been filling up more frequently, at least today. 

The thing of interest (well at least for discussion) is that I just saw the route for the pipeline and it runs where I am traveling. 

But, now that I think of it, the gas is going north from the south where I am....... or was going north. 

If you can hold off heading east until Sunday at the earliest, keep going west. If you HAVE to head east now- have some plans for staying a couple days until they get the pipeline going again if you're on a MC. 4 wheeled vehicle - if you can fill up when you're within a tank of making home  - you're good.

Will probably start heading east on Thursday, maybe Friday.....   On two wheels. 

Will be filling up when I need two gallons.  So will have 200 miles in the tank when I do fill up....

[Patrick]

Remember what biden did to Keystone ? This new admin probably thought Keystone was the only pipeline in this country. They don't give a crap about this, this will help them push for more green. More green energy which means it'll cost us more more of that green stuff in our wallets.

[Hook#3287]

What concerns me is if all of these attacks, including possible release of the covid, are practice runs?

As far as the pipeline stopping gas distribution, one of the main problems Nazi Germany had was lack of gasoline to run the war machine.

I know the Feds have major stockpiles, but it takes factories and factories need workers and workers need gasoline.

Ain't no way solar and wind will power a military action or the back ground support.

[Rams]

Went to gas up my trike this morning, both gas and diesel were available at the pumps but, the price is going up in Hattiesburg.  No prediction on what's going to happen tomorrow.   We're a fuel guzzling nation, it is, what it is.

Rams