A cyberattack on Monday hit the electronic communication system used by a major pipeline network.
The electronic data interchange used for Energy Transfer Partners’ pipeline system was attacked and will be shut down until “further notice,” Energy Transfer said in a note to shippers obtained by Bloomberg. The attack did not affect the transport of natural gas through the company’s pipeline system.
Energy Services Group operates the communications system that was attacked. It conducts its business through a computer-to-computer exchange of documents with customers.
An Energy Transfers spokeswoman said the attack did not affect the operations of pipelines owned by its subsidiaries, including Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Company, Transwestern Pipeline Company, and Rover Pipeline.
It is not known who is responsible for the attack, which came after the Trump administration last month accused Russia of targeting the U.S. power grid with cyberattacks.
The U.S. government says Russian hackers compromised energy operators in North America and Europe by copying information of machinery and descriptions of how they operate, which could be used to shut down power plants.
