Page 14 - Cybersecurity Career Guide for UT Austin

How a Ransomware
In May 2021, hackers broke
into the data networks
of Colonial Pipeline, a
company that supplies gas
through a major pipeline
from Texas to New Jersey. The
hackers locked out the com-
pany’s own IT staff, encrypted
huge numbers of business-
critical files, and demanded
millions of dollars to provide
the decryption key.
Not only did this ransom-
ware attack disrupt the daily
lives of millions of Americans,
it also consumed the work
lives of hundreds, even thou-
sands, of people in jobs of
all kinds. Read on to find out
how this drama played out.
pays a $5 million ransom (in
bitcoin) to DarkSide, a cybercriminal
group operating
out of Russia. The hackers
then send Colonial Pipeline
a decryption tool to restore
their network, but it operates
very slowly.
MAY 8: Damage
Assessment
The communications team
releases an announcement of
the attack to news organi-
zations. All departments
figure out which systems
can still function and which
cannot. Colonial Pipeline
employees engage with law
enforcement, government
agencies involved with the
energy industry, and clients
and customers suddenly cut
off from gasoline supplies.
The shutdown causes major
disruptions to gas delivery up
and down the East Coast, as
offline. Everyone’s job –
from billing to administra-
tion to communications
to personnel – becomes
figuring out how to do what
they are supposed to do
without fully functioning
computer networks. The
company contacts the FBI.
MAY 8: Ransom Paid
With the help of the
FBI, Colonial
Pipeline
crisis and response
MAY 7: The Attack
4:45 A.M. An employee at
Colonial Pipeline discovers
a ransom note on a system
in the IT network. The note
says that hackers have taken
files from the company’s data
networks, and it demands
about $5 million in exchange
for the files.
5:55 A.M. The company de-
cides to shut down the entire
pipeline network to contain
any possible risk of physical
harm or damage.
6:10 A.M. Along with the
pipeline shutdown, systems
throughout the company go
START-ENGINEERING.COM PHOTO AND MAP COURTESY COLONIAL PIPELINE
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