Impact of Cyber ​​Attacks on U.S. Pipeline Companies A “call for awakening” to everyone, says the National Pipeline Association

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A cyberattack on a US pipeline company last week should act as a “wake-up call” to everyone, including Canadian businesses, consumers and governments, said a head of the Canadian Pipeline Association. I am.

According to Reuters, the Colonial Pipeline was forced to shut down for six days after hackers discovered it was breaking into the system on May 7.

According to Bloomberg News, Colonial, the largest petrol pipeline in the United States, paid nearly $ 5 million to hackers in Eastern Europe on Friday, even though it claimed it wasn’t willing to pay.

Chris Bloomer, president and chief executive officer of the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association, said cyberattacks are a major concern and are drawing the attention of everyone, including pipelines, businesses and institutions. .. He said these types of attacks are always happening and many are simply paying to get over them.

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“This is a very prevalent problem across the board and we need to shed a lot of light on it to see how much is happening there, but from an impact perspective. It’s a call to wake up, “he said. “The system is so integrated that any disruption of this magnitude would have a huge impact, so I think the impact and speed of this impact was a real awakening call.”

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Ransomware is a type of malware software designed to deny users access to a system or data until a certain amount of money has been paid.

Professor Tom Keenan of the University of Calgary, who studies cybersecurity, said all technologies were vulnerable and added that he wasn’t surprised to hear about the ransomware incident at Colonial.

“Alberta is arguably more vulnerable than anywhere else because the ransomware people do business,” he said. “The way this happens is that when someone receives an email (and) clicks on an attachment, it infects their computer, affects other computers, and suddenly they (cyber attackers). Owns the network. “

Keenan added that industry groups are constantly meeting to address these security concerns, and the consequences of cyberattacks can be life-threatening and health-threatening, especially in hospitals and other locations. .. He also said that companies can become more vulnerable by using common off-the-shelf technology instead of their own custom-made. This is a more expensive option and it is difficult to keep up with updates.

Timothy Egan, President and CEO of the Canadian Gas Association (CGA), said in an email statement that the Canadian gas industry has learned from past events, such as what happened in the Colonial Pipeline, for critical infrastructure. He said he has always focused on protection.

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He said the industry can work with other partners to ensure the resilience of energy systems and continue to move forward over all challenges, including cyberattacks.

“Cybersecurity is a priority for all gas industry companies and is part of the industry’s overall safety commitment,” said Eagan. “CGA members employ effective cybersecurity programs to protect their systems, collaborate extensively to share knowledge and continually improve.”

Evan Koronewski, media and spokeswoman for the Communications Security Establishment (CSE), said in an email that the Canadian Center for Cyber ​​Security, which operates within the CSE, is monitoring the impact of cyberattacks in the Colonial Pipeline. Stated. He said the CSE and Cyber ​​Center share threat information with Canadian organizations, government partners and industry stakeholders.

CSE is a federal agency that provides intelligence on technology security.

jlabine@postmedia.com