News Report #1

Saudi Oil Producer’s Computers Restored After Virus Attack
By: Reuters Published: August 26, 2012 URL: “http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/27/technology/saudi-oil-producers-computers-restored-after-cyber-attack.html”

On August the 15^th, there was a virus attack on the computer workstations of the world’s largest oil producer, Saudi Aramco.  The company had resumed operation on the 26^th after the virus was removed from the company’s computers.  Khalid Al-Falih, the oil company’s chief executive, made a public statement to the stakeholders, customers, and partners that the virus had no effect on the production, and distribution from the wellhead to the distribution network were not affected.  He continued by saying that everything was functioning as reliably as ever. 

            The company was investigating the virus attack, and the only information that they released was that it originated from “outside sources.”  Evidently information technology experts have been warning recently that computer attacks on countries’ energy infrastructure could disrupt energy supply.  They say that these attacks are most likely coming from hostile governments, militant groups, or private “hacktivists” to make political stands.

            Saudi Aramco was not the only company in the Middle East that has suffered from viral attacks.  The sanction of government that focuses on the oil industry has endured several computer attacks in the past few years.  Al-Falih also stated that Saudi Aramco was not the only company that was attacked and that he expected many more attacks.  He said that they were just going to heavily reinforce their protection to prevent another incident such as this one.

           

            My reaction to this NY Times article was somewhat mixed.  On one hand, I realize that many of these large oil companies in the Middle East are filled with corruption and probably deserved what happened to them; on the other hand oil is a necessity and if one of these companies were shut down for an extended period of time, prices would shoot through the roof.  The fact that a hacker, or group of hackers could shut down 30,000 workstations with a virus is quite unnerving.  The information that could possibly be one some of those workstations could be detrimental in the wrong hands.