{
  "id": 81235,
  "title": "Energy companies need to invest in cybersecurity to prevent supply risks, says GlobalData",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/energy-companies-need-to-invest-in-cybersecurity-to-prevent-supply",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-08-03T10:00:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hellenic Shipping News",
    "slug": "hellenic-shipping-news",
    "url": "https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/energy-companies-need-to-invest-in-cybersecurity-to-prevent-supply-risks-says-globaldata/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Energy infrastructure is a prime target for cybercriminals, as attacks on critical national infrastructure (CNI) can disrupt essential services, cause nationwide instability, and provide financial gains for hackers. As geopolitical tensions rise, the risk of cyber espionage escalates, making it imperative for energy firms to invest in robust cybersecurity measures, according to GlobalData, a prominent intelligence and productivity platform.\n\nGlobalData's Strategic Intelligence report, \"Cybersecurity in Energy,\" underscores how cybersecurity influences several critical issues in the energy sector, such as digitalization, distributed energy resources (DERs), grid modernization, supply chains, third-party vendors, and geopolitical factors. Ravindra Puranik, an Oil and Gas Analyst at GlobalData, states that energy companies rely on extensive third-party networks, which makes supplier vulnerabilities a significant cyber risk that can infiltrate IT and operational technology (OT) systems. Puranik further explains that attacks leveraging shared vendor software, like file-transfer tools, have successfully targeted major players in the industry.\n\nPuranik emphasizes that mitigation strategies require stronger vendor governance, including continuous monitoring, established standards, network segmentation, least privilege access, regular audits, and joint incident response procedures. GlobalData highlights that digitalization and the merging of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) are creating new pathways for attackers to infiltrate legacy systems and modern grid technologies, thereby increasing the potential for operational disruptions. The convergence of AI further enhances attackers' speed and sophistication, reducing the time defenders have to respond to threats.\n\nPuranik concludes that oil and gas companies should invest in specialized cybersecurity services that offer continuous monitoring, rapid response, expert validation, and robust operational readiness. Additionally, equipment and oilfield service providers should incorporate product-focused services, such as secure development support and security audits/certifications, to minimize supply chain risks and maintain customer trust. Puranik summarizes: \"Cybersecurity is vital across the entire oil and gas value chain, encompassing data protection, asset integrity, and the prevention of financial losses.\"",
  "summary": "Energy infrastructure is a high-value target for cybercriminals. Attacks on critical national infrastructure (CNI) can have an outsized impact, disrupting essential services, causing nationwide instability, and generating financial gains for hackers. As geopolitical uncertainty intensifies, so does cyber espionage, making it crucial for energy companies to invest in resilient cybersecurity…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}