'Nothing is safe': Five times ransomware attackers have impacted our lives
Jerry Boggs
For the second time in as many months, a major link in the U.S. supply chain has been hampered due to hackers launching a ransomware attack.
This week, a global meat supplier was hit. Last month, a main East Coast pipeline was shut down for days, creating panic over possible gas shortages.
Today, the FBI is probing an attack targeting the agency which oversees ferry services between mainland Massachusetts and the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.
The high-profile incidents show "that nothing is safe," former senior Department of Homeland Security official Paul Rosenzweig told USA Today. "Not the meatpacking industry, not the chemical industry, not the wastewater treatment industry, not Sony. Nothing."
"And the only way to be safe in this world is to unplug completely. And you can't do that and be economically competitive," added Rosenzweig, a Cybersecurity and Emerging Threats senior fellow at the non-partisan R Street Institute public policy research organization in Washington, D.C.
Let's look at five high-profile attacks.
JBS meat packing cyberattack
This week, the world's largest meat supplier reported it was the target of an "organized cybersecurity attack."
The company reportedly shut down its five biggest U.S. plants in the wake of a cyberattack.
JBS said the attack affected servers supporting its North American and Australian IT systems. If and how the attack will affect consumers is not yet known.
The latest:JBS USA, world's largest meat supplier, shuts down 9 beef plants after cyberattack
Colonial Pipeline shutdown
In may, a ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline brought down a a key artery in the nation's energy infrastructure that transports fuel across the East Coast.
Worried motorists flocked to southern U.S. service stations resulting in widespread outages and caps on purchases.
The Colonial Pipeline Co. reportedly paid a $5 million ransom to cyberattackers to end the shutdown. The FBI identified a criminal group known as DarkSide as being responsible for the cyberattack.
The payoff:Colonial Pipeline reportedly pays $5M in cryptocurrency to hackers to end ransomware cyberattack
Massachusetts vehicle inspections halted
A malware attack affecting Applus Technologies left Bay State vehicle inspection locations unable to perform required emissions tests in late March and early April.
The Wisconsin-based company did not confirm it was the victim of a ransomware attack. Rather it stated only that a malware attack was detected and deleted.
In an interview with WGBH, Chris Gonsalves, an IT security expert with Channelnomics, posited that it was, in fact, a ransomware attack that caused the software issue.
The outage halted inspections for more than a week, affecting services in eight states in all.
RMV delay:Inspection stickers on hold
New Bedford IT attack
Closer to home, the city of New Bedford was hit with a ransomware attack in 2019.
Hackers locked users out of 158 city computers. It encrypted data stored on servers and workstations, blocking access to that information.
A Bitcoin payment equal to $5.3 million was demanded in exchange for a key to unlock the encryption and free the computer systems.
The city decided to offer $400,000 from insurance proceeds, but that offer was rejected. Ultimately, the city opted to recover its data on its own with insurance payouts used to offset the cost of IT experts.
Line of defense:A year after ransomware attack, New Bedford receives $175k to improve 'recovery capabilities'
Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority ransomware attack
Ferry services between Woods Hole on Cape Cod and the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard were interrupted days after the Memorial Day weekend kicked off the start of the summer season.
The Steamship Authority's website was affected with an error message displayed if customers tried to reserve tickets for a trip on one of the company's ferries.
Ferry service disrupted:FBI investigating ransomware attack on Steamship Authority
The authority announced the attack on Twitter, but did not immediately provide information about the details of the attack. It did state the FBI had taken the lead in the investigation into the extent and origin of the attack. The FBI is working in conjunction with the Coast Guard and the Massachusetts State Police Cyber Security Unit, Coast Guard First District Petty Officer Amanda Wyrick said in an email.
Scheduled trips to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket were still happening, though customers could experience some delays during the ticketing process, and were unable to book or change vehicle reservations online or by phone, according to the Steamship Authority.
The authority operates passenger, car and freight ferries between the Massachusetts mainland and the islands.