Colonial Pipeline Hack Shows Peril Of Ignoring Military Cyber Vulnerabilities: Kendall
The ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline in May underscores the urgency for the Pentagon to safeguard its transportation and logistics enterprise, defense officials said.
By Valerie Insinna on October 19, 2021 at 4:31 PM
In an aerial view, fuel holding tanks are seen at Colonial Pipeline’s Dorsey Junction Station on May 13, 2021 in Woodbine, Maryland. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.: The Colonial Pipeline hack should serve as a wake up call for the US military, which needs to move quickly to protect its logistics enterprise from cyber attacks, two top defense officials said today.
In May, Russian-based hackers breached Colonial Pipeline’s networks, causing a gas shortage, skyrocketing fuel prices and ultimately costing the company $5 million in ransom money — and all those hackers needed was one password, said Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, who spoke at the National Defense Transportation Association conference Monday.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg. If we don’t protect our data, it is wide open for our competitors to steal or manipulate and to disrupt our military operations,” he said.
Kendall is not the only defense official concerned with the department’s vulnerability to cyber attacks.
https://breakingdefense.com/2021/10/colonial-pipeline-hack-shows-peril-of-ignoring-military-cyber-vulnerabilities-kendall/
