EXPLAINER: What's next for pipelines after Colonial hack
WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s largest fuel pipeline is flowing again after the company that runs it it was hit by a gang of hackers. But long lines remain at gas stations throughout the Southeast. That's because drivers are buying more gasoline then they need, draining supplies at filling stations. Plus, there are logistical hurdles slowing fuel deliveries of fuel from the Colonial Pipeline.
The incident was one of a series of wake-up calls about the growing threat hackers pose to the nation's critical infrastructure. Ransomware attacks, where hackers demand large sums of money to decrypt stolen data or to prevent it from being leaked online, have hit thousands of businesses and hundreds of health care centers in the U.S. in the past year.
Questions remain about what steps companies or government officials should take to buttress defenses against cyberattacks.
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WHEN WILL FUEL SUPPLIES GET BACK TO NORMAL?
Colonial restarted its pipeline late Wednesday, which means fuel is now running between refineries in Houston and Southeast states. But it will take a few days or weeks for everything to get back to normal.
Gas stations in the Southeast should open for business and well supplied next week, but only if the pipeline operates as planned and consumers stop hoarding fuel, said Richard Joswick, global head of oil analytics at S&P Global Platts. When the panic passes, people will have full tanks and demand will drop, but “people have to convinced that they don’t have to panic buy,” Joswick said.
There's also the matter of getting fuel from the pipeline to the pumps.
Different types of fuel — including gasoline, jet fuel and diesel — are moved through the pipeline system, and they can’t all be flowing through the same pipes at the same time. One of the main arteries...
