JOHANNESBURG,
South Africa, April 1, 2020/ -- In this time of depressed oil Prices
and raging
scourge of COVID-19, most economic analysts and energy asset
operators now agree that 2020 could see negative demand growth for oil
globally as industries shut down and countries around the world go on
lockdown. Negative economic impacts are also being forecasted for the
electricity, renewable energy, and mining industries. This current state
of play demands that companies who control and manage the critical
energy infrastructure and natural resource assets maintain their
vigilance against physical, cyber, and technical security threats as
they deal with these colliding "Black Swan" events.
The
resilience of oil companies’ operations is essential to the economy,
security and overall quality of life for all citizens in Africa and
worldwide. “Indications and warnings are illuminating the fact that
terrorists, hostile state actors, criminals, hackers for hire, and
vandals are currently planning to take advantage of our current state of
chaos,” declared C. Derek Campbell, CEO of US-based Energy &
Natural Resource Security Inc (ENRS). “We continue to support a lot of
energy companies in Africa to mitigate the hostile actions of those with
ill-intent. In uncertain times like these, it is companies’ efforts
against unexpected threats that ensure that their assets maintain
continuity of operations during these trying times,” he added.
Key
recommendations oil companies and their contractors should follow to
ensure their assets achieve resilience and maintain continuity of
operations notably include:
- Assess
and Review your current cybersecurity posture against protocols such as
NIST-800-171, ISO27001, and CIP Cybersecurity Frameworks.
- Monitor
your employees and be cognizant of the IT methods and platforms they
use to access your corporate networks while working remotely.
- Via
your local national staff, engage the local populations/communities
within a 5 to 10-mile radius of your operations to gain an understanding
of the atmospherics around your asset.
- Spot check your existing physical and technical security measures to make sure they are fully functional.
- Request
a security assessment during your operational down time in order to
gain an understanding of your asset’s current vulnerabilities and levels
of assumed risk.
“The
African Energy Chamber takes security threats in Africa extremely
seriously and such risks should not be downplayed when our industry
faces turmoil and prices instability,” commented Nj Ayuk, Executive
Chairman at the African Energy Chamber. “ENRS is a key partner for us
and their best-in-class security solutions are what owners, operators,
investors and insurers should be implementing to maintain the continuity
of their operations and mitigate risk throughout their asset’s
operational life cycle.”
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