US Watchdog Claims Offshore Oil, Gas Facilities Targeted by Cyberattackers; OTs Have Security Flaws

U.S. watchdog Government Accountability Office (GAO) claims that offshore and gas infrastructures are at risk of cyberattacks.

GAO first published its report regarding this security risk on Oct. 26. It was just released to the public on Thursday, Nov. 17.

"These facilities, which rely on technology to remotely monitor and control equipment, face a growing risk of cyberattacks," said GAO via its official report.

Why Are US Offshore Oil and Gas Facilities Targeted by Cyberattackers?

According to Tech Crunch's latest report, more than 1,600 offshore gas and oil facilities produce a significant portion of the oil and gas supplies of the United States.

If malicious actors are really targeting these infrastructures, then it would be a huge problem for the U.S. government if they are breached.

The warning of GAO came after the Colonial Pipeline, the largest pipeline system in the United States, was hacked by a ransomware attack.

The U.S. watchdog warned that malicious actors, especially those backed by Russia, North Korea, and China, could breach offshore oil and gas facilities because of their operational technology (OT).

GAO further explained that these OTs, which are used to control and monitor physical tools, contain various security vulnerabilities.

How Serious is This?

GAO stated that if hackers can use OT vulnerabilities to breach oil and gas facility systems, they could have remote access to numerous functions.

Some of those operations may even be critical for the safety of workers.

This means that employees in these infrastructures could suffer from physical injuries.

Aside from these, cyberattacks against offshore gas and oil facilities could also cause economic and environmental harm.

If you want to learn more about the latest warning of GAO against cyberattacks, you can visit this link.

While no serious oil or gas infrastructure happened yet, the U.S. government imposed a bipartisan warning against TikTok.

Meanwhile, the tech firm dismissed Meta employees who allegedly hacked user accounts.

For more news updates about cybersecurity threats, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

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Written by Griffin Davis