US’s largest pipeline crippled by cyber attack

Status
Not open for further replies.
thecold said:
In general we have no real max limits. Some places, might, but I have never really seen any signs where I have lived/driven. Limits are usually after the fact, like during this.

I have personally never seen anyone grab 200-250 gallon of gas that way though (it might be even bigger). It's one thing if it is diesel (tractors, farm equipment, etc) it's another for bob joe to fill up on unleaded that way. I guess that guy's preparing for the long haul. Clear containers holding that much gas, hopefully it's just for transferring, cause ew....
Click to expand...
see them all the time on the bigger industrial job sites where contractors are suposed to provide their own fuel for the lifts and what not.
 
Mchart said:
It's pretty idiotic to store that much gas unless you know you can use it within like a month. Diesel will last longer, but petrol? Not a very long shelf life if you want to use it in a modern vehicle, and I doubt he's just filling up crappy two stroke engines with it.
Click to expand...
I had this discussion elsewhere just yesterday. Modern gas has a really long shelf life if you throw stabilizer in it at the beginning (and I guess maybe keep it semi-temperature-controlled, not just outside in the back yard?) I had a car I had to stop using for about 8 months. I filled it up (15 gallons or so?) and threw in a bottle or two of stabilizer from 7-11 or wherever, and when I fired it up 8 months later it started right up and ran fine. People replied and said it should last at least a year or two.

Having said that, that guy is the argument in favor of price gouging.
 
[Spectre] said:
It is usually a dollar figure cutoff. If I pulled my boat to a station I would hit the cutoff before filling it's tank and it only holds 80 gallons of fuel.
Click to expand...

And that's there because of the cost, not scarcity. I've seen places with signs that say "if you need more, just start another transaction."
 
1_rick said:
I had this discussion elsewhere just yesterday. Modern gas has a really long shelf life if you throw stabilizer in it at the beginning (and I guess maybe keep it semi-temperature-controlled, not just outside in the back yard?) I had a car I had to stop using for about 8 months. I filled it up (15 gallons or so?) and threw in a bottle or two of stabilizer from 7-11 or wherever, and when I fired it up 8 months later it started right up and ran fine. People replied and said it should last at least a year or two.

Having said that, that guy is the argument in favor of price gouging.
Click to expand...

My boat floats with a full tank of gas over winter every year in probably the worst environment to store fuel. There is no issue once it is dewinterized starting it in the spring.
 
Last time there was a possiblility of a hurricane where I live (Florida) I saw a guy in a pickup pumping gas into a couple of 50-60 gallon garbage cans. Somebody had already called the cops but they werent there yet and I didn't stick around to see how it turned out.
 
Dermen said:
Last time there was a possiblility of a hurricane where I live (Florida) I saw a guy in a pickup pumping gas into a couple of 50-60 gallon garbage cans. Somebody had already called the cops but they werent there yet and I didn't stick around to see how it turned out.
Click to expand...
OMGo_O He would need a burning cigerate thrown in his face for being so careless
 
IcePickFreak said:
I mean the guy could run a business and needs fuel for equipment. Is this a pic you took recently or just some random pic you found from someone raging on the internet? I'm in Wisconsin and that isn't that uncommon to see in farming country.
Click to expand...

I get what you're trying to say but if the case he would have a legal and safe method of fuel transport. Not a water/chemical tote.
 
IcePickFreak said:
I mean the guy could run a business and needs fuel for equipment. Is this a pic you took recently or just some random pic you found from someone raging on the internet? I'm in Wisconsin and that isn't that uncommon to see in farming country.
Click to expand...
A family member took the picture. He drives a dump truck.
 
cdabc123 said:
You mean cyber attack?
Click to expand...
Maybe... if you fuck around online and you get hit by one of those crypto viruses is it a cyber attack? It comes down to how the attack was initially initiated, but either way its a crypto virus and they are locked out.
 
Lakados said:
Maybe... if you fuck around online and you get hit by one of those crypto viruses is it a cyber attack? It comes down to how the attack was initially initiated, but either way its a crypto virus and they are locked out.
Click to expand...
Um wat?

What is a crypto virus? Ransomware that demands crypto? Is that what is happening in this case?

If not then please explain how crypto relates to this topic at all as frankly I'm not seeing it.
 
Krenum said:
If they can hack the fuel pipelines, one would think they'd be able to hack the power grid too, no electricity to power the electric cars, pump gas or water.
Click to expand...
Good thing there's multiple methods to generate electricity. Generator, solar, putting my sister on a bike and letting her peddle for days. Before you say generators need petrol, no they don't. You can power those things with natural gas. For gasoline I need to dig oil out of the ground and boil it in a high pressure tank to separate the gas from the rest of the crap before it's even usable. Even then I'll need to do it a few times to get high octane fuel.

vegeta535 said:
It does not take $50 to refuel a sedan. I pissed $28 for a full tank and probably get almost twice what the Tesla gets. Also it take 3 mins to fill up to full bs hours for the Tesla.
Click to expand...
Like what, a Prius? I might as well convert my vehicles to hybrids. If they sold the kits for cheap.
 
cdabc123 said:
Um wat?

What is a crypto virus? Ransomware that demands crypto? Is that what is happening in this case?

If not then please explain how crypto relates to this topic at all as frankly I'm not seeing it.
Click to expand...
Crypto Virus Definition: A Crypto virus encrypts files on the computers it infects and then broadcasts a message in which a fine is demanded in order to regain access to the files.
All crypto viruses are ransomware, not all ransomware is a cryptovirus, as there are a number of ways to lock somebody out of a system then Ransome it back to them.
 
DukenukemX said:
Good thing there's multiple methods to generate electricity. Generator, solar, putting my sister on a bike and letting her peddle for days. Before you say generators need petrol, no they don't. You can power those things with natural gas. For gasoline I need to dig oil out of the ground and boil it in a high pressure tank to separate the gas from the rest of the crap before it's even usable. Even then I'll need to do it a few times to get high octane fuel.
Click to expand...
Uh huh, and are you going to dig the oil out of the ground by hand and use the water dowsing method to find it?
 
vegeta535 said:
It does not take $50 to refuel a sedan. I pissed $28 for a full tank and probably get almost twice what the Tesla gets. Also it take 3 mins to fill up to full bs hours for the Tesla.
Click to expand...

Depends on the car and its engine size -- some sedans can have almost 20 gallon tanks.
 
vegeta535 said:
It does not take $50 to refuel a sedan. I pissed $28 for a full tank and probably get almost twice what the Tesla gets. Also it take 3 mins to fill up to full bs hours for the Tesla.
Click to expand...
Honda Accord, probably the most common car(?) out there has a 17 and 18 gallon tank depending on the year. At $3 a gallon, its over $50.
 
Lakados said:
Crypto Virus Definition: A Crypto virus encrypts files on the computers it infects and then broadcasts a message in which a fine is demanded in order to regain access to the files.
All crypto viruses are ransomware, not all ransomware is a cryptovirus, as there are a number of ways to lock somebody out of a system then Ransome it back to them.
Click to expand...
And this is neither?....

All ransomware encrypt the files... It wouldn't be very good ransomware if it didn't. So buy that definition all ransomware is a crypto virus...

Is this a ransomware attack? Do you know anything about if the "virus" encrypted user data? (Strictly calling something crypto because something was encrypted to aome degree is misleading as well)

Your title is misleading and inaccurate.
 
cdabc123 said:
And this is neither?....

All ransomware encrypt the files... It wouldn't be very good ransomware if it didn't. So buy that definition all ransomware is a crypto virus...

Is this a ransomware attack? Do you know anything about if the "virus" encrypted user data? (Strictly calling something crypto because something was encrypted to aome degree is misleading as well)

Your title is misleading and inaccurate.
Click to expand...
How is it neither? They were targeted specifically by the organization Darkside, their files and systems were encrypted and they are locked out, they are currently requesting $30,000,000 USD to unlock the system and let them back in.

The term Crypto is short for cryptography? the definition I gave you is straight from the white paper defining it https://www.cryptovirology.com/cryptovfiles/cryptovirologyfaqver1.html#whatiscryptovirology

The most common form of Ransomeware that is most prevalent is not a complicated setup that encrypts the files, and locks people out it is very simple ones that usurp the boot priorities of the system and instead of booting to windows as normal it simply boots to a large splash screen that makes it incredibly difficult to bypass. They then give some BS message about illegal content or something and give a 1-800 number for you to call to pay your fine. These sorts of ransomware attacks get tens of thousands of people per year for an average of $50 USD, usually from people who just don't know better which is like 90% of the people out there using computers.
 
Last edited:
IcePickFreak said:
You live around richer farmers than I do.
Click to expand...

Well to be fair, the farmers I know don't usually don't drive clear gas/storage tanks in a fashion like that. If they are poorer, it's usually on an old ghetto truck with a tank on the back (and almost always have holes in the body).

Note, WHILE I AM NOT THE MOST INFORMED PERSON YOU SHOULD NOT BE DRIVING A TRAILER LIKE THAT PERIOD.
 
Last edited:
That is goid point, why dnt he spray painted it red for 'gasoline' ? I remember when my brother bought yellow canister for gasoline nd I bugged him for it nd he just shrugged it off. What if there is fire nd firefighters dont know you have gasoline in there nd nt diesel.
 
All this shit could be operated manually. Should be over by now. Something's off about this. They either managed to do damage or this is just a stunt. Or, its real but they're milking it to be more than it is. I could see hiding the damage if its an environmental issue they are trying to conceal.
 
I have extra gas from last year in my garage. Mower starts fine with it too.

As an aside, that nasty acid from the ethenol seems to kill whatever causes decay. Stuff lasts longer than pre-ethanol days
 
IcePickFreak said:
You live around richer farmers than I do.
Click to expand...
Sounds like I live around smarter farmers. I live in corn and soybean land, not once seen a plastic tote used.

thecold said:
Well to be fair, the farmers I know don't usually don't drive clear gas/storage tanks in a fashion like that. If they are poorer, it's usually on an old ghetto truck with a tank on the back (and almost always have holes in the body).
Click to expand...

I agree here, don't forget missing tailgates. Plenty of beater trucks with fuel tank tool boxes or the old egg shape steel drum. At least they are all steel and usually welded or bolted down.
 
Last edited:
There are new systems in place to do just this, Palo Alto has been working with me for the last year doing this very thing. First, you have to understand that what was a great security practice as little as 2 years ago is now completely insufficient, internal and outgoing traffic needs to be treated with even greater scrutiny than incoming traffic. So implementing SSL decryption, port and application filtering, geo locks, and VPN blocks are all things that need to be done. It's inconvenient but needed at this point, if the device can be moved offsite then you must assume a 0 trust approach to it, and that includes something as simple as a USB key.

It is not costly, or at least it doesn't need to be, but it does require a lot of IT people out there to realize that their security practices are shit, and it requires them to bear the brunt of the inconveniences. These sorts of things done generally come in because Jen from accounting clicked an email link because if that's how it got in then Jen had far too many network permissions and somebody already goofed up. Most of these get in because somebody in IT thinking they knew better did something stupid.
 
Last edited:
Lakados said:
There are new systems in place to do just this, Palo Alto has been working with me for the last year doing this very thing. First, you have to understand that what was a great security practice as little as 2 years ago is now completely insufficient, internal and outgoing traffic needs to be treated with even greater scrutiny than incoming traffic. So implementing SSL decryption, port and application filtering, geo locks, and VPN blocks are all things that need to be done. It's inconvenient but needed at this point, if the device can be moved offsite then you must assume a 0 trust approach to it, and that includes something as simple as a USB key.
Click to expand...

which in the end is all thwarted by one moronic employee :)
 
I BETTER not see gas prices rising here in California because of this shit. We already pay a premium on everything including gasoline that none of the oil we use or gas made for it better not ship east to "help out"
 
Bigbacon said:
which in the end is all thwarted by one moronic employee :)
Click to expand...
if that one moronic employee has enough access to systems and networks that they are in a position to cripple the entire infrastructure then somebody's done gone goofed up

Edit:
I dropped an F-bomb, because these things make me angry and that's not OK
 
Last edited:
That_Sound_Guy said:
Sounds like I live around smarter farmers. I live in corn and soybean land, not once seen a plastic tote used.
Click to expand...
Yeah, bunch of idiots trying to earn an honest living with what they got.

Was just pointing out a pic doesn't tell the whole story. The guy could be hording gas, or could be a guy just trying to keep his business afloat. It's 2021 though, I get it, jump to conclusions and rage on.
 
Bigbacon said:
Was goi ng mote with the usb drive approach.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I had to clean one of these crypto viruses from somebody else's network over 2020, and we got it all cleaned up and good and things restored, for the whole thing to almost get reinfected when somebody plugged in their compromised USB key into their laptop. Fortunately, the new system didn't let it call out and the system sinkholed the traffic and nothing became of it but it certainly got a few people really hot under the collar.
But the one thing that I took home from that experience is Microsoft's paid Exchange support team is too good and too cheap, what they got done for like $500 still amazes me.
 
Lakados said:
Maybe... if you fuck around online and you get hit by one of those crypto viruses is it a cyber attack? It comes down to how the attack was initially initiated, but either way its a crypto virus and they are locked out.
Click to expand...
I'm sure you already know this, but it's just as likely the attack was at least semi targeted. My company isn't that big, but a year of two ago I got a couple of different emails, one purporting to be from my boss, the other from the owner, asking for me to send a bunch of employee information. Pretty obvious phishing.
 
Mega6 said:
you pee sitting down, don't u? : D
Click to expand...
I sit down to pee. I'm in a house full of girls (4) and I'm not about to take the heat when these animals piss all over the seat. I'll never understand it, but whatever.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top