Cyber Security and Secure Communication Systems

 

Cyber attacks are increasingly targeting the energy sector and their rate keeps growing. Having evolved over the last decade from being mostly harmless nowadays cyber attacks grew into sophisticated and devastating advanced persistent threats. Cyber attacks represent a significant financial and environmental risk for oil and gas operations. An attack could disrupt or completely shut down operations, steal information, affect production schedules, increase operational costs, or cause legal liability and company reputation issues.
It had been a large number of successful malicious cyber attacks targeting the drilling rigs and production platforms at the end affecting the facility’s operations. The main capability of the attack is to remain invisible to the target for a long period of time so the mission can be completed and the attacked system undetected. If the threat is discovered it might also be programmed to destroy itself upon detection. This means that the cyber attack leaves little to no footprint on the attacked system.

 

Phases of the Cyber Attack

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Solutions offered:

  •        Non-intrusive monitoring
  •        Detection systems installation
  •       Anti-virus software
  •        Risk severity evaluation of cyber attacks
  •        Controlled response and recovery strategies
  •        Defense strategy evaluation analysis
  •        Rapid emergency response for crisis management
  •         Information security solutions
  •         Secure email and core applications
  •        Automated audit and compliance management
  •        Advanced networking solutions

Today’s rigs use increasing levels of automation – a complex of sub-systems that are all interconnected: operational, hydraulic, mechanical, electrical and because of this integration, a problem in one system can have a cascading failure effect on the entire operation and result in non-productive time therefore ALSS offers a compliance solution for critical infrastructure that provides a highly secure industrial automation and control systems environment to protect workers and facilities in the energy industry. Designed to manage infrastructure, this system uses a software platform that provides real time control, optimizes exploitation management systems and forms the backbone of a command, control and intelligence Centre.

Additionally, we always advice our clients to comply with the latest  industry’s Guidelines on Cyber Security which been published by BIMCO that is a six-step cyber-security process:

1. Identify threats
2. Identify vulnerabilities
3. Assess risk exposure
4. Develop protection and detection measures
5. Establish contingency plans and
6. Respond to cyber security incidents

Cyber attacks represent a serious threat to the oil&gas industry and might lead to consequences that go beyond delays, annoyance and costs. It is therefore essential to develop a robust protection regime against any potential cyber threat.

“You are only as strong as your weakest link.”