NEW YORK (Reuters)

The biggest United States (US) gasoline pipeline will not resume full operations for several more days due to a ransomware cyberattack blamed on a shadowy criminal network called DarkSide.

The attack on the Colonial Pipeline, which carries nearly half the fuel consumed along the US East Coast, is one of the most disruptive digital ransom schemes ever reported.

While the impact remains to be quantified, the pipeline shutdown will reduce fuel availability in the near term, push up prices and force refiners to cut production because they have no way to ship the gas.

The privately owned company said today (May 10) it was working on restarting in phases with “the goal of substantially restoring operational service by the end of the week”.

CYBERATTACK ATTRIBUTED TO DARKSIDE

The FBI attributed the cyberattack to DarkSide, a group believed to be based in Russia or Eastern Europe. Its ransomware targets computers that do not use keyboards in the languages of former Soviet republics, cyber experts said.

President Joe Biden said there was no evidence thus far that Russia’s government was involved.

‘GOAL IS TO MAKE MONEY’

A statement issued in the group’s name on Monday said: “Our goal is to make money, and not creating problems for society.”

Its statement did not mention Colonial Pipeline by name.

Ransomware is a type of malware designed to lock computers by encrypting data. The hackers demand payment to let the owner regain access. It is unknown how much money the hackers are seeking, and Colonial has not commented on whether it would pay.