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Geology & Geophysics which successfully disrupted uranium enrich- “Once inside the system, an in? ltrator

Cyber risks ment at the Iranian Natanz nuclear facility in could, in theory, open an emergency shut-

The adoption of internet-based, or “open,” 2010, have drawn the energy sector’s atten- down valve, or adjust alarm system settings industrial control systems (ICS), has left tion to the potential disruption that could be at a gas or petrochemical plant.” the global energy sector vulnerable to cyber caused by a malicious piece of software.”

According to the US Department of attacks and hacking, according to a new

Homeland Security, 53% of the 200 inci- A 2013 report by Zpryme Research &

Marsh Risk Management research paper.

dents responded to by its Industrial Control Consulting found 63% of energy companies

The paper, entitled “Advanced cyber

Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team, polled were “very concerned” about the attacks on global energy facilities,” says the between October 2012 and May 2013, were prospects of cyber or network attacks. adoption of internet-based ICS and super- directed toward the energy sector. Governments are taking note and acting. visory control data acquisition (SCADA)

In the US, the Obama administration’s new

To date, cyber attacks on the energy sector systems has grown as companies seek

Cybersecurity Framework has sought to have mostly been untargeted and data-driven. greater business insight, remote access, de? ne a common set of security standards

But this is starting to change, Marsh says, with and interoperability between systems. for a list of 16 de? ned critical infrastruc- hackers now seeking to control ICSs in order “For the last quarter of a century, the ture sectors, including standards and to in? ict damage to property and operations.

global energy sector has relied on the pro- “The energy sector’s resiliency to date approaches for ICS. tection o