Gas stations across US 'start to run out of fuel' after Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack as gas prices set to climb

GAS stations across the US have started to run out of fuel after the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack, and gas prices are expected to climb.

Stations along the East Coast, from Florida to Virginia, have had to close up shop due to a fuel shortage brought on by Friday's hack and subsequent shut-down.

North Carolina even declared a state of emergency due to the shortage.

The 5,500 mile Colonial Pipeline, which transports 2.5million barrels of gas per day between Texas and New Jersey, was shut down on Friday evening after a ransomware attack was launched.

Service was gradually being restored on Monday.

The Pipeline transports roughly 45 percent of all fuel used on the East Coast.

By Monday, motorists were beginning to report running into trouble trying to find gas.

At least two gas stations in Tallahassee, Florida, were out of gas by Monday evening, according to Bloomberg, and another in Elizabethtown, North Carolina, had about two dozen cars waiting to get some gas.

An employee at the Elizabethtown Marathon gas station told the outlet that stations all over town were dealing with similar back-ups.

Motorists in Atlanta took to social media to complain about not being able to get gas after trying multiple stations.

A Russian crime group named "DarkSide" is allegedly behind the ransomware attack that led to this week's chaos.

DarkSide targets large corporations for ransoms by capturing the victim's confidential data and threatening to leak it if the ransom isn't paid.

It is not known what the Colonial Pipeline ransom is, if it is being negotiated or if it has been paid.

Colonial remained shut down through the weekend, leading to fears of a spike in gas prices. 

The national average retail gasoline price already rose to $2.967 a gallon on Monday, an increase of 2.4 percent from Friday, according to AAA.

The Pipeline attack is leading to new concerns over America's vulnerabilities to cybercriminals.

In response, the White House has initiated efforts to shore up the security of the nation's infrastructure and utility suppliers.

Republican Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska said attacks like this are bound to recur.

"This is a play that will be run again, and we’re not adequately prepared," Sasse said. "If Congress is serious about an infrastructure package, at front and center should be the hardening of these critical sectors.”

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