Joe Biden is absolutely right about this
President Biden is right (again). We need to do some serious work on our infrastructure to prevent future catastrophes like the Colonial Pipeline shutdown. According to Politico, Colonial Pipeline suffered “what is believed to be the largest cyberattack on oil infrastructure in the country’s history.” So, some hacker got into Colonial Pipeline’s system to create havoc. Why is it even possible to get into a system like this? Exactly as President Biden has been preaching, we need to upgrade our infrastructure, including systems such as Colonial Pipeline’s. Now, we will likely see spiking gas and fuel prices on the East Coast, as the pipeline has been shut down “indefinitely” according to reports.
Colonial Pipeline, a Georgia-based company, runs 5,500 miles of pipeline. These pipelines not only provide gas and jet fuel, but they also provide fuel for home heating, diesel, and supplies our military, according to Business Insider. The pipeline’s business systems were attacked by ransomware, causing them to shut down the pipeline system out of an abundance of caution. They have already hired a cybersecurity firm to investigate, and the FBI is also involved. Politico reported that this is not the first time that hackers have tried to disrupt critical systems in the U.S., including water plants, oil refineries, chemical plants, and the electrical grid. Because of these repeated attacks, we must ensure that our systems become less vulnerable by upgrading them. This is exactly the type of issue that President Biden wants to head off in the future by working on the U.S. infrastructure.
As the Wall Street Journal pointed out, cyber experts and security officials have repeatedly warned of these types of attacks because of the susceptibility of U.S. systems. It is time to remove that susceptibility by beefing up our security systems. PoliticusUSA reported that this attack makes the case for President Biden’s bill, yet Republicans continue to oppose the bill. As Politicus reported, this incident makes clear that our infrastructure is open to assault and further pointed out that Biden is now playing “catch up” because the last administration allowed our systems to remain vulnerable. Republicans are, once again, refusing to sign on to legislation that will not only help the American people, but in the case of the vulnerability of our infrastructure, life as we know it in the U.S. This is inexcusable. For whom do Republicans work if not for this country and its people?
We are amid a comeback. Over 100 million have been vaccinated according to CNN, and the economy is on the upswing, April job numbers notwithstanding. Many other factors go into the jobs number, but they are up, nonetheless. It is time to move forward with other legislature that will continue to carry the country in the right direction, and that begins with President Biden’s infrastructure plan. We must protect our structures from attackers, and perhaps if President Biden’s plan ensures that funding is in his legislature for this, more will get on board with it. We cannot afford another Colonial Pipeline disaster. The next time might be even worse.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years