‘DARK’ FORCE AT WORK

Here’s how the DarkSide cyberattack on the crucial Colonial Pipeline network unfolded:

Q On Friday, the Colonial Pipeline Co., based in Alpharetta,. Ga., realizes it’s the victim of a cyberattack involving ransomware, which has disabled some of the company’s computer systems.

Q To contain the threat, Colonial shuts down its Texas-to-New Jersey pipeline network, which carries more than 100 million barrels of fuel a day to the East Coast.

Q On Saturday, the company reveals the incident to the public and says it’s hired a “leading, thirdparty cybersecurity firm” and working with law enforcement and federal agencies.

Q On Sunday, Colonial says its four mainlines remain shut but some smaller pipelines are back in service. News reports ID the culprits as a gang of criminal hackers known as DarkSide.

Q The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issues a “regional emergency declaration” for 17 states and DC that lifts a requirement for fuel-truck drivers to take 10-hour breaks between shifts. The declaration will remain in effect through June 8, or until the crisis is over.

Q On Monday, the American Automobile Association says the national average price for a gallon of gas jumped six cents over the past week and is expected to keep rising.

Q Colonial says it hopes to have the pipeline “substantially” operational by the end of the week — but warns that the outage is “approaching critical levels” and could lead to price hikes for gasoline and diesel fuel if the network remains down.

Q The FBI confirms that DarkSide is behind the attack. President Biden says that the gang is based in Russia but that there’s currently “no evidence” linking it to the Kremlin.