Energy infrastructure is becoming an increasingly attractive target for cybercriminals as rising geopolitical tensions and rapid digitalisation expose critical national infrastructure to more sophisticated attacks, according to research firm GlobalData.
These cyberattacks on critical infrastructure can disrupt essential services, undermine national stability and result in significant financial losses, making cybersecurity investment a strategic priority for energy companies, stated GlobalData. in its report titled Cybersecurity in Energy.
The report identified digitalisation, the integration of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT), distributed energy resources, grid modernisation, supply chains, third-party vendors and geopolitical risks as the key cybersecurity challenges facing the sector.
As geopolitical uncertainty intensifies, so does cyber espionage, making it crucial for energy companies to invest in resilient cybersecurity programmes, said a senior expert.
“Energy companies depend on extensive third-party ecosystems, making supplier vulnerabilities a major cyber risk that can spread into IT and OT environments. Attacks exploiting shared vendor software (e.g., file-transfer tools) have hit major players,” remarked Ravindra Puranik, the Oil and Gas Analyst at GlobalData.
“Mitigation requires stronger vendor governance, such as continuous monitoring, standards, segmentation, least privilege, audits, and joint incident response,” stated Puranik.
According to GlobalData,, companies can reduce such risks by strengthening vendor governance through continuous monitoring, network segmentation, stricter access controls, regular security audits and coordinated incident response plans.
"Oil and gas firms should invest in specialised cybersecurity services that provide continuous monitoring and rapid response, expert validation, and strong operational readiness. Equipment and oilfield service providers should also add product-focused services such as secure development support and security audits/certification to reduce supply chain risk and maintain customer trust," stated Puranik.
"Cybersecurity is integral across the oil and gas value chain, for securing data, safeguarding asset integrity, and preventing financial losses," he added.-TradeArabia News Service