Colonial Pipeline network services restored

Colonial Pipeline reportedly has restored its network services after experiencing a new round of network issues Friday afternoon, only weeks after it was the victim of a devastating Russian-based cyberattack.

“Our internal IT department is aware of the issue and working to resolve as quickly as possible,” the Georgia-based company said earlier Friday, as Memorial Day weekend gas prices are at their highest level in seven years.

Earlier this month, hackers locked up the Georgia-based company’s computer systems. The hackers didn’t take control of pipeline operation, but the company shut it down to prevent malware from affecting industrial control systems. Colonial Pipeline CEO Joseph Blount later said he approved paying more than $4 million to the Russian-based hackers who cyberattacked his company because “it was the right thing to do for the country.”

Colonial is now the target of a lawsuit alleging it employed lax cybersecurity measures that left it vulnerable to such an attack.

AAA estimates 37 million Americans will travel by car and plane on Memorial Day weekend. That’s up 60% from last year, when many were cautious about the pandemic and stayed home. But it is still 13% below pre-pandemic travel levels reached during 2019′s Memorial Day weekend.