Cybersecurity specialists have confirmed that the main oil terminals in Europe have been victims of a cyberattack that has generated severe interruptions in their operations. According to a specialized report, this incident has affected several European ports, interrupting the unloading of barges in an oil market that faces multiple complexities.
Jelle Vreeman, a specialized broker based in Rotterdam, says that the cyberattack has compromised the software with which the affected facilities operate, which has generated the interruptions in the systems.
In this regard, the German authorities have already confirmed an attack on their facilities, which has led to the intervention of other countries in the European Union and Europol. Claire Georges, a spokeswoman for the international agency, said: “The investigation is ongoing and at a delicate stage.”
Among the affected facilities, the most severe failures have been detected in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp oil mall (SEA-Tank Terminal), where computer systems have been practically paralyzed. Belgian media also confirmed the intrusion.
At least two oil supply companies in Germany confirmed this week that they had been the target of a cyberattack, apparently linked to encryption malware.
On the other hand, Arne Schoenbohm, director of the German agency of information technologies, points out that the incident is real, although he rules out that the consequences are as disastrous as some have mentioned. However, the official assures that the authorities will continue to investigate the incident to determine the exact causes and possible consequences.
To learn more about information security risks, malware variants, vulnerabilities and information technologies, feel free to access the International Institute of Cyber Security (IICS) websites.
He is a cyber security and malware researcher. He studied Computer Science and started working as a cyber security analyst in 2006. He is actively working as an cyber security investigator. He also worked for different security companies. His everyday job includes researching about new cyber security incidents. Also he has deep level of knowledge in enterprise security implementation.