Resource Mining
Why the Petroleum Industry Needs IT Professionals Today
Whether upstream, midstream, or downstream, today's petroleum industry realizes it cannot solve its current challenges by looking to the past. Much like the energy industry in recent years, tech advancements have considerably impacted – and for some, even wholly transformed – petroleum production from start to finish. Historically, the oil and gas industry has resisted change for as long as anyone can remember. However, the currents are changing quickly. Most oil and gas executives recently polled agree their organization will have to change how it operates. Many executives stated they invest at least a moderate amount in digital technology. Additionally, a substantial portion identified the increasing availability of big data analytics and insights as one of the top trends that will positively impact their company's business growth in the next three years.
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From integrating artificial intelligence and automation to the Internet of Things (IoT) and eco-friendly fracking, the tech revolution has arrived in the oil and gas industry. This industry reshaping has unfolded relatively fast, catching some off guard and uncertain how best to evolve and thrive in this shifting landscape. The last decade especially has seen remarkable progress in the extraction and refinement process, from offshore drilling to mainland pipelines, refineries, and distribution. Equally important is ensuring that the critical network technologies supporting, organizing, and protecting petroleum production as a whole transform as well – and by well-trained professionals.
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Tomorrow's success is built on today's investments. This transformation takes time and investment in resources and labor, all tracked by the industry's notable increase in technology funding in recent years. Beyond advancements in extraction and refinement, today's petroleum producers at all points in the stream are faced with three related technological needs that cannot be undervalued:
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Robust, unshakable cybersecurity for their critical infrastructure
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Preparedness for increased regulation
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Expert systems administrators who oversee, stabilize, and secure their networks.
Undervaluing or discarding these three core needs leaves petroleum producers at grave risk, not only of compromising public trust and safety but of considerable profit losses as well. With an extensive library of proven IT training solutions, companies are prepared to equip petroleum producers throughout the stream with the cybersecurity and advanced networking skills they need to thrive within an evolving industry.
Cybersecurity and the Rise of Regulation
In the last five years, there have been 35 significant cyberattacks on US energy and commodity infrastructure, with half of these targeting industries connected to oil, including ports and petrochemicals. One important example is the attack on a significant pipeline in the US, which halted all operations due to a ransomware attack. This incident restricted the primary artery for gasoline and refined products for much of the South and East Coast, preventing the delivery of more than 100 million gallons of fuel and heating oil per day.
As the petroleum industry continues to use digital technologies, its cybersecurity vulnerabilities rise alongside it. Successfully addressing these vulnerabilities requires extensive security knowledge, training, and skills. Cyberattacks on major oil and gas companies are more common than often realized, and denying this reality only puts petroleum producers at further risk. Cyber threats and attacks against oil and gas operators are not rare black swan events but everyday occurrences.
These attacks affect upstream production and midstream transportation, such as pipelines. The consequences of these attacks and the failure to adequately prepare and train to counter them are severe. For example, it takes an average of 279 days and $8.19 million for US companies to detect and contain a data breach, such as those affecting midstream petroleum pipe transporters.
The May 2021 pipeline cyberattack continues, showing signs of a potential watershed moment. Following the attack, there has been much speculation by oil and gas industry leaders that cybersecurity preparedness will continue to be a wise measure and increasingly regulated by the federal government. Issued later that year, the second Security Directive of the joint TSA and DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency now requires designated critical pipelines to implement specific mitigation measures to protect against ransomware attacks. They must develop and implement a cybersecurity contingency and recovery plan and conduct a cybersecurity architecture design review. Despite pushback, most industry leaders following the incident believe that a growing prescriptive regulatory scheme from TSA remains imminent in the near future.
Now is the time for petroleum producers up and down the stream to get ahead of the curve on cybersecurity. This way, the rapidly shifting currents of cybersecurity will not catch them floundering or sinking.
Chauster's Strategy for Overcoming This Challenge
For those in the oil and gas industry looking to develop a robust team of cybersecurity professionals, securing cybersecurity measures begins with fortifying technological foundations. This involves ensuring that no fundamental weaknesses are exposed and no core concepts are left unchecked. CompTIA Security+'s Certification is critical in this regard. Delivered through Chauster UpSkilling's expert-led training methods, the 31 hours of foundational training material prepare candidates for the Security+ certification and equip them with indispensable cybersecurity skills.
Earning the SYO-601 certification is essential for protecting petroleum infrastructure through critical industry investments in security engineers or analysts. This need will only grow as cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated in the coming years. Equally important in the battle for petroleum cybersecurity is the ISC2 CISSP Certification. Aimed at more seasoned IT security professionals within and beyond the oil and gas industry, the CISSP certification maintains its high reputation by ensuring its holders possess the broad knowledge and practical experience necessary to keep petroleum producers safe.
Critical infrastructure across the petroleum production stream is complex and widespread. The industry needs more than just cybersecurity engineers and analysts; it requires holistically trained, expert systems administrators who can oversee, stabilize, and secure its vast networks. The tech revolution may have taken longer to impact oil and gas than adjacent industries, but it has arrived and is here to stay. An industry historically resistant to change—especially in computer technology—petroleum producers are now contemplating advancements that, a decade ago, were exclusive to Silicon Valley. Today, automated, integrated, and advanced computing methods like IoT and AI are becoming as essential as traditional methods in the oil and gas sector. It is now evident that the future of the petroleum industry will be vastly different from its past.
How System Admins Can Navigate the Future of Upstream Operations
Cyberthreats and attacks against oil and gas operators are not rare, exceptional events; they are everyday occurrences.
Cisco's Advanced Technology Solutions
Network engineers and systems administrators utilizing Cisco technology in the oil and gas sector enable real-time visibility and access to sensor-level information. This detail supports consistent, condition-based monitoring to ensure high equipment performance at all times. Aligned with the Internet of Things, these sensor-based capabilities reduce operational downtime and costs. They also support fully integrated on-site and remote operations, providing real-time oversight and resolution of issues at remote sites.
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Emphasizing the scale of the petroleum industry is crucial. As a sector that supplies approximately 10.3 million jobs and contributes nearly 8 percent of the US GDP, the industry's impact is vast and significant. These statistics highlight the need for expert network and systems administrators to ensure the industry functions at its maximum potential. Every one of these 10.3 million jobs intersects with the industry's advanced networks, which track, organize, house, and secure every step of the labor pool's progress throughout petroleum production. This need spans the entire production stream.
Core training solutions, such as the CyberOps 200-201 CBROPS Cisco Certification, prepare today's IT professionals to tackle the advanced network challenges of tomorrow's petroleum industry. The same is true for Cisco's key competitor, Juniper.
Chauster UpSkilling offers an extensive library of training resources from advanced networking leaders Cisco and Juniper. This includes high-demand Cisco certifications like CCNA and CCNP and the Juniper Networks Certification Path (JNCP).