The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Tuesday that it will require owners and operators of critical pipelines that transport hazardous liquids and natural gas to implement “urgently needed protections against cyber intrusions.”
The reasoning behind the implementation of this order seems to draw a direct correlation to the Colonial ransomware attack that majorly disrupted gas delivery across the East Coast.
The security directive requires owners and operators of the Transportation Security Administration to adopt measures that protect against ransomware attacks and other threats to information technology and operational technology systems.
The directive also requires those pipeline owners and operations to develop and implement a cybersecurity contingency plan and review existing cybersecurity architecture.
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said this in a statement. “The lives and livelihoods of the American people depend on our collective ability to protect our nation’s critical infrastructure from evolving threats,”
DHS also pledged to continue to work closely with the private sector to boost cybersecurity resilience.