Colonial Pipeline (2021)

On May 7, 2021, Colonial Pipeline — operator of the largest refined-petroleum pipeline on the U.S. East Coast — was hit with ransomware by DarkSide affiliates. Colonial proactively shut down operations, triggering fuel shortages, panic buying, and price spikes across the eastern seaboard. The shutdown lasted six days. The incident drove binding cybersecurity directives for U.S. pipeline operators (TSA Security Directives Pipeline-2021-01 and -02) and remains the canonical example of cyber-induced critical-infrastructure cascade in the U.S.