More and more, the world’s business is being done online. Even oil and gas companies that don’t rely on the internet for their overall well being have begun to maintain at least a small presence on the world wide web. Of course, this innovation is a double-edged sword, especially in oil and gas. Your company needs to be online to survive, but if you’re in the energy industry your company might be a more tempting target than you realize.
Whether digital “hacktivists” are targeting your company to further their agenda, common criminals are hoping to take advantage of your company’s largess, or a competitor hoping to snoop out an advantage by rummaging through your files, oil and gas companies are at big time risk of cyber assault. Here’s what you need to know.
By the Numbers, Oil and Gas Companies are Prime Targets for Hackers
According to a survey conducted by Tripwire, industry insiders think the cyber terrain is increasingly hostile. Eighty percent of respondents said that the number of successful cyberattacks have increased by as much as fifty percent over the last year. Even more shocking, nearly 70 percent of those people who responded said they were not confident that their company was detecting these assaults.
Perhaps the reason for the lack of confidence in cybersecurity is due to a lack of staffing. Most respondents to the Tripwire survey explained that a single executive was solely responsible for security.
Where the Weakness Lie
The threats from cybercriminals are severe. Depending on how online-dependent your company is, malicious people can disrupt production, steal private information, and even shutdown entire plants. Unfortunately, the points of ingress into your company’s are plentiful.
From employees who aren’t being cautious enough online to outdated software or un-secure remote work, an enterprising hacker can gain access to your most important information with ease.
The secret is to double your focus on security by staying up to date on the latest threats to your company. Setting up a simple Google News Alert for “oil and gas cybersecurity” is a great way to do that. Then, be sure to share your insights with your coworkers to give everyone in your company a shot at staying secure online. Beyond that, regularly checking your security software (and keeping an eye out for better alternatives) is extremely important. Essentially, the most important thing to do is to keep yourself and your company as in-the-know as possible.