Energy & Utilities

Energy and Utilities

Impacts to Critical Infrastructure can have a massive and immediate negative effect on population of that region.

Over the last one-decade, cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure have surged dramatically, and the possible consequences are noteworthy. A loss of data is very concerning, but a loss of electricity and water in a region is disastrous to both business and society. Energy and Utility in general have a massive impact on human society and when disruption of service delivery are incurred, it can have a huge negative impact on population of that region and can result in disruption of life and potential civil unrest. Energy and Utility companies rely heavily on risk-based controls derived from the business side of things. These risk-based controls don’t necessarily match up with the level of protection required by a critical infrastructure in current cyber landscape. This require IT Security Professionals in E & U to closely analyze the current processes in place to ensure that they have the plans customized as detect, defend and respond to cyber-attacks appropriate to their industry.

We remember devastating results of quarter million customers losing power in December 2015 when Ukraine’s electricity was interrupted by a cyber adversary sitting in another country. It is just a matter of time until another country experiences a cyberattack that shuts down electricity for 1000s of people. Disruption to Energy and Utilities for a country comes with devastating consequences as electricity is must to operate pipelines, medical facilities, telecommunications, military bases and other critical infrastructure. CyberGen offers wide-ranging cybersecurity solutions and services for Energy and Utility industry coupled with our product security expertise to help you gain confidence, that your organization's place in this new trend of innovation is secured.

MAJOR CYBER THREAT TYPE & AREAS TO KEEP AN EYE ON IN ENERGY AND UTILITY SECTOR

RANSOMWARE

It is a type of malware that prevents or limits users from accessing their system, either by locking the system's screen or by locking the files unless a ransom is paid. Modern ransomware families, collectively categorized as crypto-ransomware, encrypt certain file types on infected systems and forces users to pay the ransom through certain online payment methods to get a decryption key. Extortion's are usually demanded in Bitcoins or other Crypto currencies.

REMOTE ACCESS AND MOBILE DEVICES

To manage geographically spread resources, increase convenience and to reduce cost, utilities are relying upon remotely accessible equipment and mobile devices. The shift to a smart grid will mean that utilities will add thousands of devices to their operations including new sensors, controllers, relays, meters, etc. However, vulnerabilities stemming from unsecure access or connection to critical systems via remote tools and devices are the greatest precursor to cyber incidents.

INFRASTRUCTURE & COMPONENT DAMAGE

Assets in an Energy and Utility company contain a wide range of equipment and IT infrastructure that are vulnerable to data manipulation and the rearrangement of processes by malicious actors. By hacking vulnerable systems, cybercriminals can change critical data values and commands to cause permanent damage to equipment and catastrophically destructive results to the utility company.

DATA MANIPULATION

A more subtle and sneaky form of malware could be used to fake data about reserve levels of oil, gas, water, etc held by energy and utilities companies for their day to day operations. For example, by manipulating data from field devices and tank management systems within the company’s SAP systems, cybercriminals could make it appear that gar operates utility company has far more oil than it currently need to run generators, causing all manner of supply and logistical issues

Invest in Security Awareness Training

Cyber criminals have already demonstrated their capabilities to go beyond damaging equipment and locking users out from their critical systems and are capable of completely shutting down operations through massive manipulation of key systems. Whether motivated by political or economic objectives, a cybercriminal can acquire major abilities to disrupt and totally control the entire facility if they find enough vulnerabilities to be exploited in your IT or OT Environment.

Energy and Utility companies across the globe faces new cyber threats every day. This majorly includes malicious and intentional or accidental intent, the effect of these cyber threats can be incredible, resulting in costly downtime or loss of control that could risk the operational safety of your systems.

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Guard against and respond to cyber threats that your enterprise and its systems face. CyberGen will help you identify and/or mitigate intrusions faster and with less interruption.