The Oil & Gas Industry faces an increasing threat from Cyber Attacks

The Oil and Gas industry is part of a country’s critical infrastructure and an important part of the energy sector meaning that there is high possibility in being targeted by numerous individual attackers or APTs. Companies in this industry are highly likely to become targets of espionage from other countries and it has been proved that multiple attacks have taken place during the years against this sector, especially during periods of conflicts.

According to Statista, 21 ransomware incidents happened in 2022 alone in the Oil and Gas industry. This means that ransomware attacks were responsible for 39% of attacks against the oil/gas/energy sectors, which is 4% greater than the global average for ransomware attacks across all sectors (35%). 32 cyber breaches occurred within the oil/gas/energy sectors in 2022, according to a new report by cybersecurity firm Tenable for the period of November 1, 2021, through October 31, 2022. The number makes this sector 10th highest in a list comprising 29 industries for 2022 breaches. Health care and social assistance ranked first, public administration second, and educational services ranked third.

This white paper scrutinizes the threat landscape faced by the Oil and Gas sector, profiling active threat actors, exploring their motives and techniques, and addressing emerging cloud-based threats detailed in Obrela Digital Universe Report H1 2023. Ultimately, it provides crucial recommendations to bolster cybersecurity defenses in an era where energy security is intertwined with global stability.