US Oil Giant Halliburton Targeted in Cyberattack

After two days of speculation, Halliburton, a leading oil drilling and fracking company, confirmed it shut down some internal systems following a cyberattack earlier this week, according to CNN.

In a statement filed with government regulators on Thursday, Halliburton disclosed that unauthorized access to its systems was detected on Wednesday.

The cyberattack, first reported by Reuters, appears to have impacted business operations at Halliburton’s north Houston campus and some global connectivity networks.

To prevent further complications, the company has advised employees to avoid connecting to internal networks. Halliburton’s response included restoring affected systems and assessing the full impact of the breach.

TechCrunch notes that such measures are common following cyberattacks, aiming to prevent intruders from gaining further access.

On Thursday, CNN reported that the Energy Department indicated there were no signs of disruption to energy services.

However, cybersecurity experts have expressed concern about the attack’s severity. Jackie Singh, a cybersecurity researcher, told CNN that Halliburton’s decision to take systems offline suggests a severe ransomware attack involving potentially virulent malware.

Reuters noted that hackers typically offer victims a key in return for cryptocurrency payments, which can reach hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. If the victim resists, hackers may threaten to leak confidential data to increase pressure.

Halliburton has declined to provide details about the attack, leaving the extent of its impact unclear.

SC Magazine reports that cybersecurity expert Richard Caralli warns that the Halliburton cyberattack likely exploited basic security oversights, not advanced hacking techniques. He noted that the attackers probably took advantage of simple, preventable errors due to lapses in fundamental security practices.

“These attacks often succeed not because of advanced technology, but because of mistakes, misconfigurations, and a lack of continuous evaluation,” Caralli said.