Cybersecurity

Natural gas pipeline operators must enhance their cybersecurity protocols to avoid breaches like the one that shut down the Colonial Pipeline refined products conduit in May, a panel of experts agreed Wednesday.  Electronic bulletin boards (EBB) are especially vulnerable to hacks, said the panelists participating virtually in the LDC Gas Forums Midcontinent conference in Chicago.…

Leaders from the energy, technology and financial sectors vowed to help harden the United States against cyberattacks following a summit with President Biden, who called the threat of digital crime a “core national security challenge” that demands increased vigilance from both government and private companies. “The reality is most of our critical infrastructure is owned…

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on Tuesday handed down another set of directives aimed at protecting critical pipelines that transport hazardous liquids and natural gas against cyber attacks. The second security directive, issued two months after the initial orders were put out, requires owners and operators of TSA-designated critical pipelines to implement specific mitigation measures…

The chief executive of the pipeline operator that was temporarily crippled by a ransomware attack last month apologized to Americans. During testimony before a Senate panel on Tuesday, he acknowledged that Colonial Pipeline was susceptible to hackers and that it is still grappling with challenges caused by the infiltration. “We are deeply sorry for the…

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Thursday issued cybersecurity requirements for natural gas and oil pipeline owners and operators in response to the ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline Co. earlier this month. The directive requires critical pipeline owners and operators to report confirmed and potential cybersecurity incidents to the DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure…

A manufacturing trade group is calling on Congress to empower FERC to strengthen physical and cyber security requirements for natural gas pipelines, similar to standards applied to the electric grid. Pointing to the Colonial Pipeline attack as a “wake-up call” for lawmakers, the Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA) wrote in letters to the Senate…

Following the six-day shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline Co. after a ransomware attack, a bi-partisan group of U.S. House lawmakers has revived legislation aimed at formalizing federal agencies’ responsibilities for securing pipelines against threats. In addition to codifying the responsibility of both the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency for…

Natural gas futures gave up ground on Monday as traders mulled waning weather-driven demand and the potential implications of a cybersecurity attack on the largest fuel pipeline in the United States.    The June Nymex contract dropped 2.6 cents day/day and settled at $2.932/MMBtu. July fell 2.6 to $2.978. NGI’s Spot Gas National Avg. advanced 5.5…

There was no clear end in sight on Monday to the outage stemming from a cyberattack that forced the largest refined products pipeline in the United States offline late last week. Colonial Pipeline Co., a major supplier of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel to the eastern United States, said in a statement over the weekend…