Cyber attack shuts down U.S. fuel pipeline 'jugular,' Biden briefed

FILE PHOTO: A hooded man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. Top U.S. fuel pipeline operator Colonial Pipeline has shut its entire network after a cyber attack, the company said on Friday. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Illustration/File Photo

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Top U.S. fuel pipeline operator Colonial Pipeline shut its entire network, the source of nearly half of the U.S. East Coast's fuel supply, after a cyber attack that involved ransomware.

The incident is one of the most disruptive digital ransom operations ever reported and has drawn attention to how critical U.S. energy infrastructure is vulnerable to hackers. A prolonged shutdown would cause prices to spike at gasoline pumps ahead of peak summer driving season.