A 2016 Energy Survey conducted by software company Tripwire has determined that all 150 IT executives who participated believe that a cyber-attack on their company is capable of causing damage to their actual facilities. 76 percent of participants from the same survey believe that they could be the target of a cyber-attack, with many answering that an attack could potentially come from a foreign country. Almost two-thirds of the respondents admit that they do not have a plan in place to track all potential cyber threats, and have no way of knowing who or what is targeting their business. This makes future defenses much more difficult because if the victim does not know the source of the attack, counter-measures against the attack cannot easily be prepared for.
The underlying issue with the energy sector is that the industry is made to be durable and efficient while cyber security is not made a priority. The current energy business model will soon be forced to change and adapt with the times cyber-attacks become more prevalent and as attackers identify energy databases as easy targets. Be sure to avoid any similar liabilities by staying up to date on cyber security and taking any and all possible pre-measures.