Energies Media
  • Magazine
    • Digital Magazine
    • Digital Magazine Archive
  • Features
  • Upstream
  • Midstream
  • Downstream
  • Renewable
    • Solar
    • Wind
    • Hydrogen
    • Nuclear
  • People
  • Events
  • Advertise
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Energies Media
No Result
View All Result

Most Common Oil and Gas Cybersecurity Threats

by Energies Media Staff
December 27, 2018
in Downstream, Fullstream, Midstream, News, Oil and Gas News, Security, Upstream
Most Common Oil and Gas Cyber Security Threats

El Salvador explores potential hydrocarbons revival after long hiatus

Direct Midstream ramps up automation across Permian water disposal sites

We are currently in the middle of a technological revolution, and the signs are all around us. Go ahead and name any tech buzz words such as the Internet of Things, Big Data, or Artificial Intelligence, and it will definitely be related to so many industries out there. Here, however, we’re not going to talk about the new opportunities, but we’ll be warning you about emerging threats.

Integration and automatization have exposed many industries to new threats and vulnerabilities, and the O&G industry is no exception. It has never been more important to protect these critical infrastructures due to the increase in cybersecurity threats in the oil and gas industry.

According to research conducted by ABI, the oil and gas industry has been gearing up against these threats by taking some preventative measures. The report illustrates how a cumulative $1.87 billion has been spent against cybersecurity threats in the oil and gas industry. Even though this is the case, most of the players in the industry still lack awareness and can easily fall victim to these dangerous cyber attacks.

InventU
InventU

What Could Possibly Happen?

The possible consequences of a cyber attack highly depend on the cybercriminal’s aims. An example can be state-backed hackers or competitors that are interested in attaining or revealing important information held by the victim companies. Sabotage, on the other hand, is a whole new problem and is usually the aim of hacktivists – such as the case of #OpPetrol operation back in 2013.

The Possible Risks of a Successful Attack

Some of the risks that can be faced by victims of a successful cyber attack can include the following:

  1. Plant shutdowns
  2. Equipment damages
  3. Interruption of utilities
  4. Shutdowns of production cycles
  5. Inappropriate or inconsistent product qualities
  6. Undetected spills
  7. Violations of safety measures which could result in injuries or even death

Hackers Can Break Into Operational Technology (OT) Networks

A computer worm called Stuxnet has been known to target PLCs or the industry’s programmable logic controllers along with SCADA systems. This was a wake-up call for so many industries other than the oil and gas industry because the worm had been designed in this way.

The general idea of cyber attacks of this nature is quite simple. Applications in enterprises such as Enterprise Resource Planning systems or even Business Intelligence systems are usually connected with a large number of devices in plants. This is done with the help of some integration technologies that are used to transfer data across platforms such are smart devices. If these connections are not secured, such as the connections between OT and IT environments, then refineries are most definitely vulnerable to cyber attacks.

Oil Market Fraud

Imagine if a cybercriminal uploaded malicious software into a system that has the ability to change stock information for oil and gas companies. An example can be the case where malware had the ability to fake certain types of data and make quantities appear much larger than they really are.

Once this occurs, the victim company will easily run out of production resources and hence fail to satisfy its respective obligations. As a result, the malware would have wreaked havoc and caused the company to experience huge losses while driving the oil price much higher.

Plant Destruction

In the production units of oil and gas companies, tank gauging systems and tank information management systems are connected. Some of these are equipped with functionalities that allow them to send individual commands to PLCs, which in turn are placed to control the filling of tanks.

When cybercriminals make their way to this information, nothing can prevent them from changing their critical values. How is this dangerous? Well, a cybercriminal could easily engineer an oil explosion by simply increasing the maximum filling limits of individual oil tanks.

In a similar manner, there are numerous processes in refineries and oil separation units that can be open to potential attacks via their burner management systems. These systems are not only meant to send information, but they are also designed in a manner to be managed remotely via special intermediate systems and business applications. Vulnerabilities in these remote operations can easily be compromised leading to the worst-case scenario of a plant explosion by simply turning off the purge functionalities.

Equipment Sabotage

Remote plant equipment is usually at risk of data manipulations as well. This can be in terms of pressure or temperature measurements and hackers could easily implant false forms of data that show breakdowns have occurred in remote facilities. This would then lead the victim refinery to waste their financial resources and time in false investigations.

The takeaway from all of the above may sound banal, but it is the ugly truth. The newest technological features and booming usage of the Internet of Things have simplified our lives quite a lot, but have also brought ahead some new risks. Now, it’s not only a question of the vulnerabilities of the people who use the Internet of Things or even electric skateboards. Every critical infrastructure that is connected to these technologies should take the threat seriously.

It is now time for oil and gas companies to realize that there are no gaps between OT and IT systems and that there are certain business applications that exchange critical information with devices. Due to this, these companies should seriously consider cybersecurity and setting strong lines of defense against possible attacks.

Author Profile
Energies Media Staff
Website
Author Articles
  • Energies Media Staff
    https://energiesmedia.com/author/oilmanwp/
    Drones
    September 8, 2025
    Revolutionizing Renewable Energy with Advanced Drone Technology
  • Energies Media Staff
    https://energiesmedia.com/author/oilmanwp/
    Global Shale Oil and Gas Landscape Set for Growth Beyond US
    August 26, 2025
    Global Shale Oil and Gas Landscape Set for Growth Beyond US
  • Energies Media Staff
    https://energiesmedia.com/author/oilmanwp/
    E-Fuels
    August 13, 2025
    2nd Annual World E-Fuels Summit
  • Energies Media Staff
    https://energiesmedia.com/author/oilmanwp/
    What Happens to Solar and Wind Systems During Natural Disasters?
    August 6, 2025
    What Happens to Solar and Wind Systems During Natural Disasters?
  • Energies Media Staff
    https://energiesmedia.com/author/oilmanwp/
    ship on body of water at night
    August 1, 2025
    Industry leaders to speak at Wood Mackenzie’s Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage Conference 2025
  • Energies Media Staff
    https://energiesmedia.com/author/oilmanwp/
    ROGII and NRGX Technologies Ltd. Partner to Deliver Seamless LAS Data Integration for Upstream Workflows
    July 31, 2025
    ROGII and NRGX Technologies Ltd. Partner to Deliver Seamless LAS Data Integration for Upstream Workflows
CCUS
Expo

In This Issue

Energies Media Summer 2025

ENERGIES Media (Summer 2025)


Why Energy Companies Need a CX Revolution


U.S. Oil Refineries Face Critical Capacity Test Amid Rising Demand


The Hidden Value in Waste Oil: A Sustainable Solution for the Future


Moving Energy Across Space and Time


How to Deploy Next-Gen Energy Savers Without Disrupting Operations


Bringing Safety Forward in Offshore Operations


Meeting Emergency Preparedness and Response Criteria


Maximizing Clean Energy Tax Credits Under the Inflation Reduction Act


ENERGIES Cartoon (Summer 2025)


Dewey Follett Bartlett, Jr.: Tulsa’s Champion of Independents


NeverNude Coveralls: A Practical Solution for Everyday Dignity


Letter from the Managing Editor (Summer 2025)


Energies Media Interactive Crossword Puzzle – Summer 2025

E-Fuels
TAMU
  • Terms
  • Privacy

© 2025 by Energies Media

No Result
View All Result
  • Magazine
    • Digital Magazine
    • Digital Magazine Archive
  • Features
  • Upstream
  • Midstream
  • Downstream
  • Renewable
    • Solar
    • Wind
    • Hydrogen
    • Nuclear
  • People
  • Events
  • Advertise
  • Contact

© 2025 by Energies Media