Get the lowdown on ransomware, a hack that has disrupted gas prices and law enforcement

Long lines began forming at gas stations across the East Coast this week as panicked drivers worry about supply shortages and higher prices following the shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline, a major U.S. fuel artery that was hit by a cyberattack over the weekend.

“It was unbelievable. When I was driving today, I thought it was a catastrophe coming!” Yasheeka Wiggins, of Marion, S.C., told CBS News. “I’ve seen all these cars waiting and I was like, ‘OMG. I have to fill my tank up!’ ”

The 5,500-mile Colonial Pipeline, which delivers nearly half of the fuel used on the Eastern seaboard, was the target of a ransomware attack by a Russia-based criminal group called DarkSide, the FBI confirmed Monday. The company said it was working to resume operations by the end of this week, but the temporary disruption is already wreaking havoc across the region.

Meanwhile, a Russian-speaking ransomware syndicate that stole data from the Washington, D.C., police department says negotiations over payment have broken down, with it rejecting a $100,000 payment, and it will release sensitive information that could put lives at risk if more money is not offered. The Babuk group said on its website late Monday that it would release “all the data” it stole from the Washington police department if it did not “raise the price.”

Read on for a full rundown of the consequences of these incidents and the growing threat of cybercriminals.