European Oil Hacks

Last week saw the European Oil ports were hit by a cyberattack, authorities disclosed that this was a targeted Ransomware Attack against Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands.

These threat actors have hit multiple European oil facilities in Belgium’s ports, including Antwerp, which is the second biggest port in Europe after Rotterdam.

Among the impacted port infrastructure, there is the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp oil trading hub, along with the SEA-Tank Terminal in Antwerp.

“A spokesperson for prosecutors in the northern Belgian city confirmed on Thursday they had begun an investigation earlier this week, but declined to give further details,” reported Reuters agency. “Belgian business daily De Tijd reported that terminal operator Sea-Tank had been hit by a cyberattack last Friday. The company declined to comment.

“Growing Concern”

The incidents serve as a reminder of how cyber security is becoming a growing concern across the oil industry. Last year, Colonial Pipeline Co. paid a ransom after a hack forced it to shut the largest fuel pipeline in the U.S., resulting in shortages at filling stations and price spikes.

Attacks are Escalating

At this time there’s no concrete evidence on how the attacks were orchestrated or whom by. However, one thing that’s perfectly clear is the continuous escalation of cyberattacks, they’re becoming more sophisticated and hacker groups such as REvil are becoming more active. Today we spoke with senior consultant Liam on the recent attack and how businesses can stay ahead of emerging threats.

We hope you enjoyed this news bite, check here next week when we discuss the recent dangers with remote hacking of Apple devices due to a recent vulnerability!