Cyber-Assaults Increasing Unprecedented in Oil & Gas Sector

Tripwire, Inc., one major worldwide supplier of solutions for sophisticated threat, security as well as compliance has declared one research study, which Dimensional Research conducted regarding the problems organizations encounter with respect to cyber security within the energy sector. Conducted during November 2015, the research involved respondents comprising more than 150 information technology (IT) officials within utilities, energy, as well as oil & gas companies.

U.S' Department of Homeland Security has indicated that there are more cyber assaults against the energy industry compared to any other. Besides, there have been vigorous state-backed cyber-espionage outbreaks impacting the energy industry, such as Energetic Bear and Trojan.Laziok, attacks which were capable of destructing physical infrastructure. Over time, plentiful concentration has been cast on Web-threats affecting the electricity network, but at the same time there hasn't been a likewise degree of scrutiny in the oil & gas sector.

Incidentally, from the 82 percent of enterprises, which in 2015 reported encountering one cyber assault, 53% i.e. over half are stating there was a rise in the assaults between 50-100%; 21% reporting a range of 20-50%; 13% stating 10-20%; and 11% reporting a rise of below 10% over previous year.

A still worsening situation is that 69 percent of all Information Technology officials handling security systems to keep these enterprises safeguarded too state they're not adequately prepared for noticing a cyber assault should one occur.

Also according to the Tripwire research, within 72% of those enterprises polled, a single officer is in charge of both the OT as well as IT systems, while within merely 19% of the companies; two separate officials are respectively in charge of the two systems. Moreover, within 8% of the enterprises, the same person who is not a top officer while doesn't explicitly participate in the daily activities of the enterprise, is in the information security job. Softpedia.com posted this as news on January 14, 2016.

Significantly, considering events similar as the one within Ukraine, enterprises inside energy sector received an alarming message and would be compelled towards adjusting with their pawns' constantly changing positions on a nation's cyber-war played chessboard.

» SPAMfighter News - 1/20/2016