News of pro-Russia hackers allegedly gaining access to Canada’s gas infrastructure brought cybersecurity concerns to the fore last month. To protect our power grid, industry insiders say Canada needs to step up regulations safeguarding energy systems that are vulnerable to attack.
Energy infrastructure all over the world is regularly targeted by both cybercriminals looking to extort companies and state-sponsored actors trying to get a leg up on other nations. Oil infrastructure was the target of nearly a third of the 45 cybersecurity incidents against global commodity industries like shipping, agriculture and petrochemicals between 2017 and 2022, according to data from S&P Global. This includes high-profile incidents like the 2021 ransomware attack on the U.S.’s Colonial Pipeline, which resulted in a shutdown and hefty ransom payment, and the 2022 attack that disrupted shipments from major European oil refining hubs. Power generation and electricity networks were other popular targets, according to S&P Global.
Not all attacks are so impactful….
