US government prepares to boost pipeline cyber protections

The Transportation Security Administration, a unit of the Department of Homeland Security, would require pipeline companies to report cyber incidents to federal authorities.

The Biden administration is reportedly working with pipeline companies to strengthen protections against cyberattacks following the Colonial Pipeline hack, with announcements of actions planned in coming days.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a unit of the DHS, "is co-ordinating with companies in the pipeline sector to ensure they are taking all necessary steps to increase their resilience to cyber threats and secure their systems," the agency said.

The TSA is collaborating with another branch of DHS, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. DHS said it will release more details "in the days ahead," without providing particulars.

Representative Bennie Thompson, chair of the Homeland Security Committee in the House of Representatives, called the move "a major step in the right direction towards ensuring that pipeline operators are taking cybersecurity seriously and reporting any incidents immediately."

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The May issue of World Pipelines includes a regional report on Canada’s oil and gas sector, as well as technical articles on integrity management software, leak detection, NDT, and project case studies. Don’t miss our feature on young pipeliners, in which World Pipelines’ Senior Editor Elizabeth Corner interviews the winners of the John Tiratsoo Award for Young Achievement, awarded by Young Pipeliners International, in partnership with PPIM.

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