One of the newer movements in cybercrime relates to the energy industry, as more and more tech savvy criminals are finding ways to disrupt and damage the systems and networks that those large companies have in place. Since most large companies today, including the oil industry, use computers for most of their business needs, they are at high risk of attack all of the time.
The fears are well founded, and it seems to be only a matter of time before someone gets into the systems. Some of the computer systems can control valves and safety protocols used in rigs and pipelines, and if someone were to hack into them and open or close these valves at the wrong time, chaos could ensue. Fires could break out, environmental damage could be catastrophic, and there could even be loss of life. In addition, the computer hackers could gain access to sensitive information.
The hackers of today have the skill to get into these systems, and it can be very difficult to detect their presence in time. While some might not believe this is an issue since nothing major has happened, security professionals are quite worried. They know that the energy industry is at risk, and they know that they need to take steps to increase their security. If there were a disruption in the oil supply, it could affect the world economy, and it could take quite some time for things to get back to normal.
Instead of living in fear, it’s time that these large companies take proactive measures. Increase security systems and have computer forensics specialists on board who will be able to help thwart these types of attacks. The only way to prevent these things from happening is to have a good defense and to track down the criminals so they can’t try it again.