HU

Protecting Hydrocarbons

Oil & Gas

We simulate real attack paths on upstream wells, midstream pipelines and downstream facilities—without disrupting operations.

Discover Our Approach

Oil & Gas

“Oil and gas organisations must address the cyber challenges of sprawling global infrastructure, major safety hazards, the threat of nation-state cyber attacks and growing regulatory compliance and scrutiny.”

Oil & Gas Cyber Security Challenges

Safety, Integrity and Availability are clear priority risk considerations associated with the Oil and Gas sector. The safety of people, the environment and operational assets is typically ensured by a combination of mechanical and computerised (OT/ICS) controls. Together they deliver process control, safeguarding, reliable real-time data integrity and near-continuous availability to support business operations. However, increased digitalisation, convergence and connectivity with mainstream technologies have exposed these critical considerations to a wider range of cyber threats.

Moreover, heightened regulatory compliance scrutiny means that a structured OT cyber security risk management strategy is now more important than ever to effectively manage these risks.

Situational Awareness

Perception (What’s happening?)

  • Complex, high-impact cyber attacks targeting operational industries like Oil & Gas are on the rise—from malware on control and safety systems to ransomware that locks down core IT and halts operations.
  • On top of increasing attacks, factors like system obsolescence, greater enterprise connectivity and a general lack of OT cyber awareness among staff are compounding the risk.

Comprehension (Why does it matter?)

  • The unique physical-cyber convergence in Oil & Gas makes organisations vulnerable to exploitation—attackers can commandeer OT systems to disrupt operations or even physically damage assets.
  • Regulatory requirements such as the IMO Maritime Cyber Risk Management Guidelines and IACS Unified E26/E27 have raised the bar on demonstrating effective cyber risk management. Non-conformance can lead to financial penalties or revocation of operating licences.

Oil & Gas Risk Management

For organisations with no or limited OT cyber security risk management, we recommend a holistic, two-phase programme:

Phase 1 – Risk Identification & Prioritization
Identify the most critical OT functions (e.g. upstream wells, pipelines, refineries) and assess the potential impact of a cyber attack against them. Leverage system custodians and engineers to map realistic attack paths, including technical architecture details, user access, third-party scope, supply chain factors and physical security. Real-world industrial scenarios ensure a comprehensive risk picture.

Phase 2 – OT Cybersecurity Framework (OT-CSF)
Establish a formal OT-CSF with policies, procedures and playbooks aligned to:

  • ISA/IEC 62443
  • NIST CSF
  • NERC-CIP
  • ISO/IEC 27001/27002/27019

Keep the framework realistic—overly complex controls get ignored. At a minimum, an OT-CSF should include:

  • Formal governance model (RACI roles)
  • End-to-end operating model
  • Regulatory compliance mapping
  • Asset inventory
  • Network architecture documentation
  • Incident response plan
  • Workforce training & awareness
  • Supporting procedural controls (access management, change control, backups)
  • Basic performance monitoring & reporting

These foundational controls can be supplemented as OT cyber maturity grows, for example:

  • Internal assurance and self-assessments
  • External audits
  • Third-party/supplier cyber security clauses
  • Network & asset monitoring solutions
  • Privileged Access Management (PAM)

Ultimately, understanding business risks, regulatory drivers and operational realities is just the start. Organisations must ensure they have adequate budgets, in-house skills, supplier support and governance to sustain their OT cyber programme. This focus reduces vulnerabilities and builds resilience against cyber threats and human error.