[ti:Cyberattack Shuts Down Major US Fuel Pipeline] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]A major U.S. fuel pipeline remains largely shut down Monday [00:06.64]after a cyberattack caused service to be suspended. [00:12.88]The incident, reported Friday, [00:16.04]led to the shutdown of a main fuel line operated [00:20.64]by Colonial Pipeline, a company based in Georgia. [00:26.48]The pipeline carries gasoline and other fuel [00:31.08]from Texas to the U.S. Northeast. [00:35.44]The company says it supplies about 45 percent [00:40.24]of all the fuel used on the U.S. East Coast. [00:46.36]Some are considering the cyberattack [00:49.68]the most damaging so far against important U.S. infrastructure. [00:57.00]Colonial said Monday it hopes [00:59.64]to have most of its fuel transportation system [01:03.76]running again by the end of the week. [01:07.96]The company is in the process of restarting its network, [01:12.84]which transports over 2.5 million barrels [01:17.80]of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel each day. [01:23.24]The company says it was hit by a ransomware attack. [01:29.44]In such attacks, online attackers [01:33.56]infect the computer systems of organizations [01:37.76]and hijack information in a way that leaves it unreadable. [01:44.88]The attacker then demands payment in exchange [01:49.00]for returning the information to a readable state. [01:54.56]Law enforcement agencies are investigating the incident. [02:00.36]The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) [02:03.24]said Monday the attack was carried out [02:06.56]by a criminal group known as DarkSide. [02:11.72]A news release issued Monday in the name of DarkSide [02:16.44]stated its purpose, but did not name Colonial Pipeline, [02:21.92]Reuters news agency reported. [02:25.16]"Our goal is to make money, [02:28.12]and not creating problems for society," the group said. [02:35.12]Cybersecurity experts who have studied DarkSide [02:39.68]say the group appears to be made up of experienced cybercriminals [02:46.12]who aim to get as much money as they can from their targets. [02:51.80]"They're very new but they're very organized," said Lior Div, [02:58.12]chief of Cybereason, a security company based in Boston. [03:05.04]DarkSide claims it does not attack hospitals, [03:09.56]nursing homes or educational or government targets. [03:15.48]It says it donates part of the money it receives to charity. [03:21.84]Like most other major ransomware groups, [03:25.68]it is known to avoid targeting organizations [03:29.72]in former Soviet bloc nations. [03:33.04]This suggests a link to former Soviet republics. [03:39.04]The administration of President Joe Biden [03:42.56]said it has made restarting the fuel network a top goal. [03:47.76]The administration said it is working with several agencies [03:53.52]on plans to avoid severe fuel disruptions. [03:58.88]If a shutdown continues, [04:01.40]fuel suppliers would need to use trucks and trains [04:06.08]to transport fuel. [04:08.80]The Department of Transportation [04:11.68]announced emergency measures Sunday [04:14.44]to keep deliveries moving. [04:17.92]The agency lifted driver restrictions on fuel transporters [04:23.00]in 17 states affected by the shutdown. [04:28.20]Experts said gasoline prices are not likely to be affected [04:34.04]if the pipeline is able to restart operations in the next few days. [04:41.20]But they said the incident should raise awareness [04:45.28]of the serious threats companies can face. [04:49.80]David Kennedy established TrustedSec, [04:54.12]a company that helps organizations prepare for [04:58.28]and fight cyberattacks. [05:02.04]He told the AP that once a ransomware attack is discovered, [05:07.40]companies have few choices. [05:10.60]They can either completely rebuild their infrastructure [05:15.32]or pay the amount of money being demanded. [05:19.92]"Ransomware is absolutely out of control [05:24.04]and one of the biggest threats we face as a nation," Kennedy said. [05:30.68]"The problem we face is most companies [05:34.60]are grossly underprepared to face these threats." [05:39.88]I'm Bryan Lynn. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM