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Thursday 5 October 2017

ADIPEC security conference – focusing on cybercrimes in oil & gas industry




The Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference’s (ADIPEC) security in energy conference will focus on strategies to mitigate cybercrime risks and deploy defence mechanisms to protect critical industry systems and infrastructure. 
Organisers of the second annual security in energy conference, to be held in Abu Dhabi in November, says that oil & gas has been exposed as a prime target for cybercriminals after the industry was singled out during international ransomware attacks.
Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, hosted by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), and organised by the Global Energy division of dmg events, ADIPEC is one of the world’s leading oil & gas events, and the largest in Africa and the Middle East.
ADIPEC will be held at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from 13 to 16 November 2017, with the security in energy conference to be held on 14 and 15 November.
Co-located within the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC), security in energy recognises the increasingly critical importance of IT systems to oil and gas operations, and follows two major ransomware attacks in the first half of 2017.
 The second of these, the NotPetya attack at the end of June appears to have specifically targeted oil & gas companies. According to an analysis by Kaspersky Labs, just three business sectors accounted for around 80 percent of targets. Oil & gas accounted for around 25 percent, a close second to the finance sector, and just ahead of manufacturing.
“Cybercrime is a serious problem for any business, but recent incidents raise concerns that oil & gas companies will be high-priority targets for attacks,” said Christopher Hudson, president – global energy at dmg events, which organizes ADIPEC in partnership with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).
“The security in energy conference provides a robust discussion specific to the needs of this industry, helping companies ensure that strong defences are in place.”
Specific conference sessions will cover key topics in cybersecurity, including ransomware; the internet of things (IoT); the convergence of operating technology and IT; security and compliance risks in cloud computing; risk management for supply chain and business continuity and the use of big data and analytics. Keynote addresses will focus on the balance between investment and risk, and the impact of regional collaboration on oil & gas security, with discussions to include both defensive and offensive approaches to security.
The conference programme is planned to offer immediate relevance to oil & gas. For example, there will be a significant discussion of threats to critical infrastructure, where attacks could cause widespread operational disruption and safety risks. It will offer insights into and front-line protection strategies, whether for new systems or by retrofitting of existing industrial control systems to build secure and resilient operations.
There will also be a dedicated security in energy zone within the ADIPEC exhibition halls.
“Illicit cyber activity is here to stay. But understanding the motivation of the perpetrators, with appropriate responses and education, can substantially reduce the risk and harm,” said Don Randall, former head of security and chief information security officer for the Bank of England, who will be sharing his expertise during the conference.
The list of speakers who will feature leading figures from organisations tasked with tackling cybercrime in the Middle East are:
  • Ahmed Alshemaly, director, Cyber Defense Centre, National Electronic Security Authority (NESA), United Arab Emirates;
  • Eng. Ibrahim AlShamrani, executive director of operations, National Cyber Security Center, Ministry of Interior, Saudi Arabia;
  • and Mohammed Bushlaibi, Forensic Analyst, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), United Arab Emirates.
While the number of attacks is increasing, there are concerns that some oil & gas companies have reduced their security budgets as they struggle to balance cost and risk at a time when finances are under pressure, leaving themselves dangerously exposed. The security in energy conference sessions will aim to bridge this awareness gap, emphasize the importance of building a solid defence platform against cyber-attacks and understanding the fallout of an attack and its implications to business.

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