Romanian oil pipeline operator Conpet discloses cyberattack

The incident did not impact pipeline operations or the company’s ability to meet contractual obligations. Conpet is investigating the breach and restoring systems with support from national cybersecurity authorities, and has notified DIICOT, filing a criminal complaint.

Although Conpet has not confirmed the attack type, the Qilin ransomware gang has claimed responsibility, listing the company on its dark web leak site. The group alleges it stole nearly 1TB of data and has published sample documents, including financial records and passport scans, as proof.

Commenting on this, Matt Conlon, CEO and co-founder at Cytidel, said, "Over the past three years, we’ve seen a sharp increase in exploitable vulnerabilities, rapid adoption of cloud technologies, and an overwhelming volume of security alerts. Many organisations are struggling to prioritise real risk quickly enough, creating opportunities for attackers to operate at scale.

While it’s believed this incident did not impact corporate IT systems or operational capability, it serves as a stark reminder of the growing threat to critical infrastructure and the potentially significant economic consequences of ransomware attacks. Attacks like this highlight that the challenge is no longer a lack of security tools, but a lack of clarity on which risks matter most."

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/digital-oilfield/06022026/romanian-oil-pipeline-operator-conpet-discloses-cyberattack/