Ransomware Unleashed: Assessing the Impacts on Critical Energy Infrastructure and National Security

Ransomware threats to critical energy infrastructure are increasingly common as a societal and national security threat, capable of disrupting service delivery. This paper thus seeks to review the various direct and indirect consequences of such attacks using the context of a case study such as the Colonial Pipeline attack. It looks at the organizational, cost, and image-led impact experienced across the supply chain and discusses how it affects energy security and risk across the national landscape. In this study, an effort is made to outline the nature of the problem and discuss possible solutions that will help increase awareness, improve cybersecurity, and develop the appropriate response mechanisms in the energy sector.