Oil industry has become hackers' favourite because of potential to create blackouts or spills
Hackers have increasingly been targeting oil companies, given the prospect that they could take control of the energy industry's deadly oil equipment along with sensitive data.
Bloomberg, citing various surveys and experts, reported that hackers have made the energy industry a favourite target due to its strategic and economic importance.
An April survey by cybersecurity firm Symantec found that infiltrators attacked 43% of global mining, oil and gas companies at least once in 2014. In a separate survey conducted by another security company, Trend Micro Inc, 47% of energy organisations reported attacks, the highest among all corporate sectors and surpassed only by governments. While others are worried mostly about the loss of sensitive information due to cyber attacks, oil companies have another dimension to worry about – the potential for hackers to take control and damage equipment such as drilling rigs or power stations.
