1. ✅ What Happened
In May 2021, Colonial Pipeline — a major U.S. fuel pipeline operator — was hit by a ransomware attack that forced it to shut down operations for five days. This led to fuel shortages, panic buying, and skyrocketing gas prices across the East Coast. The attackers, a Russian-speaking group called DarkSide, gained access through a single compromised VPN password.
2. 🛠️ Technical Challenge
Colonial had an unused VPN account that lacked multi-factor authentication (MFA). Hackers found the leaked credentials on the dark web, logged in, and deployed ransomware that encrypted key systems. The attack wasn’t technically advanced — it was the result of poor credential hygiene and lack of basic protections.
3. 🧩 How It Was Resolved
Colonial paid a $4.4 million ransom (part of which was later recovered by the FBI). Recovery took days, with manual pipeline operations and system rebuilds. The event became a national security issue, prompting new cybersecurity regulations for critical infrastructure.
4. 🛡️ What You Can Do as an SMB
- Enforce MFA everywhere — even on unused or internal accounts.
- Audit credentials regularly — especially those stored in old systems or leaked on the dark web.
- Implement zero-trust access — so one account can’t open the entire network.
- Have an offline backup and incident playbook — ransomware can lock you out completely.
