3 Steps for Countering Oil & Gas Cybersecurity-related Business Continuity Threats

Cyber-attacks cost companies worldwide an estimated $300-400 billion each year in unanticipated downtime and that number is projected to increase sharply. Some large industrial organizations estimate their cost of downtime in the millions of dollars per hour. When a plant shuts down unexpectedly, it takes 3 to 4 days to get everything started up again. These are sobering business continuity-related lost revenue numbers.

The more connected nature of oil & gas operations, driven in large part by the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and related digitalization trends, although beneficial to bottom lines, introduces an element of cyber-risk that should be addressed. In fact, inaction is not an option. Cybersecurity is now a cost of doing business. The question is, what is the optimal approach?

When considering the issue of cybersecurity and its impact on business continuity, several types of threats come into play. The first is the exposure of employees to outside emails. Over 400 businesses every day are exposed to email “spear-phishing” schemes draining three billion dollars from businesses over the last three years. The percentage of emails that contain potential business disrupting malware today stands at one in 131, the highest rate in five years.

A second issue involves attacks by organized groups on critical infrastructure. Oil & gas facilities are increasingly considered critical national infrastructure. As such they are targeted not only by malevolent individuals but also by organizations that use cyberattacks as weapons to be used to weaken nation states and other global institutions.

A third element to consider when formulating a cybersecurity strategy is the proliferation of mobile devices. Cell phones, tablets, laptops and thumb drives in the hands of practically every oil & gas industry employee worldwide creates a need for the development of more modern and robust security policies. The added connectivity of these devices makes it easy for outsiders who guess or steal passwords to penetrate the control environment.

A reasoned, and steady, approach for deploying cybersecure solutions
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Fortunately, there are several steps...


Si quieres ver el artículo entero que ha escrito Philippe Carle, Director de Oil & Gas and Utilities market segments dentro de la división de IT de Schneider Electric, haced click aquí: https://blog.schneider-electric.com...as-cybersecurity-business-continuity-threats/
 
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