Threats to Data Management and Information Security
According to a recent report by Booz Allen Hamilton, one of the big data management concerns for the oil and gas industry is information security. According to the report, oil and gas companies are at a constant threat of being hacked, and there is only so much these companies can do to prepare themselves for this threat.
Oil and gas companies are at a particularly high level of risk because they are such high-profile targets for malicious attack, and have to open themselves up to even higher-than-normal levels of vulnerability every time they enter into new geographic locations, markets, and products.
The situation looks bad now, and it only figures to get worse over time. More and more oil and gas companies are realizing the benefits that an open, integrated technology supply chain can offer, but very few of these companies are stopping to consider the level of risk these kinds of supply chain relationships entail.
When you rely on a third party to execute important business processes for you, you’re also relying on that same third party to protect your data and assets as if they were their own. If you can’t trust all of your vendors to do this, then your company will be vulnerable to a malicious attack.
Striking a balance between regulation and security
Keeping up with regulations at least forces companies to think about the possibility of cyber threats, but as the report points out, the current regulatory environment applies a “one-size-fits-all” approach to security, and therefore doesn’t take into account the specific vulnerabilities that exist in each individual company.
In some companies, complying with regulations may be considered a higher priority than implementing the information security solutions that the company actually needs to protect itself from threats. These companies need to find a way to balance their need for regulation with their need for security.
The next steps for information security in the oil and gas industry
So what can oil and gas companies do to respond to these sobering messages? As the report points out, it’s impossible to completely remove the threat of cyber attack, but there are certain steps oil and gas companies can take to mitigate the risk.
Here at Entrance, we offer customized data integration solutions that can keep your data safe, even in the face of rising cyber threats. Under normal operating circumstances, many companies store data locally on the same devices that were used to create the data, or just stick the data into a filing cabinet.
Both options create the risk of your data being compromised, due to either a malicious attack or an accidental loss.
Our data integration solutions can protect your data by storing it in centralized, secure databases that provide full data backup capabilities. This isn’t enough to make the threat of malicious attack go away entirely, but it will give you the peace of mind that comes from knowing that no matter what happens, your information will be safe.
Once you know that, you’re free to stop worrying about information security and start focusing on more important things—like running your business.
If your company isn’t taking steps to keep its information safe, then you’re opening yourself up to the potential of information loss. Sign up for a portfolio assessment today, and find out if your company is missing important gaps in your data management strategy.