FBI names US pipeline cyberattackers as company promises return

Colonial Pipeline storage tanks are seen in Woodbridge, N.J., on May 10, 2021. Gasoline futures are ticking higher following a cyberextortion attempt on the Colonial Pipeline, a vital US pipeline that carries fuel from the Gulf Coast to the Northeast. — AP

WASHINGTON: Hit by a cyberattack, the operator of a major US fuel pipeline said on May 10 it hopes to have services mostly restored by the end of the week as the FBI and administration officials identified the culprits as a gang of criminal hackers.

US officials sought to soothe concerns about price spikes or damage to the economy by stressing that the fuel supply had so far not experienced widespread disruptions, and the company said it was working toward “substantially restoring operational service” by the weekend.