EXPLAINER: What's next for pipelines after Colonial hack

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Plus, there are logistical hurdles slowing fuel deliveries of fuel from the Colonial Pipeline The incident was one of a series of wake-up calls about the growing threat hackers pose to the nation's critical infrastructure. “The supplies themselves really aren’t the issue, it's more the transportation,” said Akshaya Jha, assistant professor of economics and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University. When proposals are made on the state or federal level to combat cybersecurity threats, it's important to remember that one size does not fit all, said Drue Pearce, director of government affairs at Holland & Hart, and former deputy administrator of the Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration at the U.S. Department of Transportation. There’s been a lot of activity in the last month aimed at strengthening the country’s cyber-defenses, most notably an executive order signed by Biden on Wednesday that would require all federal agencies to use basic cybersecurity measures and mandate new security standards for software makers that contract with the federal government.