Protecting Critical National Infrastructure Through Modern Cybersecurity Solutions

Significant modifications to oil and gas infrastructure over the last few years have made organizations far more vulnerable to hackers. Due to the industry’s ongoing digitalization and the shift away from the conventional systems toward dispersed management solutions, controlling cyber threats has become critical for oil and gas.

Numerous firms rely on ineffective cybersecurity techniques, such as air-gapped systems, or PCs that are not linked to the Internet. In certain instances, systems that were mistakenly believed to be air-gapped were simple targets for assault.

While these tactics have never offered robust safeguards, they may increasingly expose businesses to attack in the future. Legacy systems that were never designed to be freely accessible are now connected to the internet for visibility and maintenance, thus closing the industry’s IT-OT divide.

Internet-connected technologies and smart gadgets, which are becoming more prevalent in heavy industry, assist oil and gas businesses in collecting real-time data on field operations, optimizing maintenance, and enhancing vehicle fleet visibility. Additionally, they expand the attack surface of corporate networks.

Additionally, these systems may hold a massive quantity of data regarding oil and gas devices. A predictive maintenance solution that utilizes data from IoT sensors may incorporate information about the type of metal plating used on a machine in order to accurately anticipate wear, corrosion resistance, and conductivity.

All of this data may be accessible to attackers who penetrate a company’s cyber defenses.Investment in smart technology and automation is also increasing, which means that security challenges associated with these systems are expected to grow more complex to handle. As a result, effective cybersecurity for oil and gas will become more critical.

Why is cybersecurity for oil and gas imperative?

The Colonial Pipeline transports 2.5 million barrels of gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel daily – approximately 45 percent of the East Coast’s gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. The pipeline was shut down for six days following a ransomware assault on the corporation. Normal operations did not resume in full until three additional days had gone.

As a result, the average national price of gasoline increased to its highest level in six years, with increases ranging from six to nine cents per gallon. The corporation paid the hackers 75 bitcoins, or around $4.4 million at the time, in ransom.

Future strikes might have a similar devastation – increasing gasoline prices, jeopardizing fuel supplies, and drastically interrupting routine operations.

How SubRosa can help.

Responses to cybersecurity threats must be tiered, resisting the most frequent attacks, with a sophisticated strategy for advanced and modern threat vectors. However, your infrastructure must also follow the standards regulating cutting-edge technical tools like robotic process automation, blockchain and artificial intelligence if you want it to be flexible and adaptable as IoT integration progresses.

SubRosa can assist you to regularly measure, understand and help manage risk exposure, both at an organizational level and for specific methods, services, facilities, regions and technology. We can assist you integrate your cybersecurity strategy with your business objectives to promote a transformational change.