Halliburton, a major oilfield services company, confirmed on Friday that it was targeted by a cyberattack, leading to the shutdown of certain systems. The company disclosed that an unauthorized third party had gained access to its systems, prompting Halliburton to activate its cybersecurity response plan and launch an internal investigation with external support to address the breach.
As a precautionary measure, Halliburton proactively took some systems offline to safeguard them and promptly informed law enforcement about the incident. The company did not reveal the identity of the hackers or mention any ransom demands. The ongoing investigation aims to restore systems and evaluate the extent of the damage caused.
Despite the cyber incident, the Energy Department assured that there were no indications of disruptions to energy services. Cybersecurity experts highlighted the seriousness of the situation, with one researcher suggesting that the action taken by Halliburton indicated a potentially severe ransomware attack.
CEO and co-founder of a cyber investigation platform emphasized that attackers are increasingly targeting critical infrastructure like the energy sector due to its vital role in the economy. Any disruption in these services poses risks to the energy industry's supply chain and consumers.
