The Casualties of Cyber War: Exploring the Colonial Pipeline Shutdown

If a cyber attack can take down an entire pipeline, what's next? As news from the recent attack on Colonial Pipeline continues to develop, owners and operators, the U.S. government and the public continue to question the dangerous implications behind our critical infrastructure lacking the proper cybersecurity against dangerous hackers. 

"20 years ago, if you wanted to attack operational technology (OT) or an industrial control system you had to specifically target it," says Dr. Dennis Hackney, Head of Cybersecurity Services Development. "Now, all you have to do is look and see where a connection exists between the information technology (IT) and OT environments."

"Oil and gas [industries] have historically underinvested in cybersecurity," says Kyriakos "Rock" Lambros, cyber expert and CEO and Founder of RockCyber, LLC. "While OT systems are being targeted, most of the impact that we're seeing are casualties of war. The IT side of the house is targeted and then the ransomware moves laterally throughout the network because there aren't good controls in place."

Tune in as host Ian Bramson dives into the minds of cybercriminals like DarkSide and discusses how this historic event will impact industrial operations and new cyber regulations moving forward.

Need more cyber expertise? Revisit our Cyber Risk Series: https://bit.ly/2ywSHuG

About the Guest 

Founded in 2018, RockCyber, LLC is a cybersecurity executive consulting firm specializing in aligning Cybersecurity strategy to enterprise business goals. Kyriakos "Rock" Lambros is the CEO and Founder of RockCyber. He is a seasoned Cybersecurity and Information Technology executive with expertise in aligning cybersecurity and technology strategy with enterprise business goals. He has served in several senior cybersecurity and technology roles for global companies such as MPLX (a subsidiary of Marathon Petroleum Corporation), eBay, Honeywell, General Dynamics Information Technology, Wells Fargo and Agilent Technologies.

About the Host:

Ian Bramson heads the global cybersecurity organization at ABS Group of Companies, Inc. (ABS Group), an affiliate of American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), where he works closely with senior executives across the maritime sector to help minimize their cyber security risks. For over 20 years, Ian has helped organizations adapt to their digital environments and solve business challenges related to industrial cybersecurity, risk management and digital transformation. He has built successful companies, global sales organizations and cybersecurity programs across multiple industries. Ian is a recognized thought leader and market developer in the emerging threat landscape of attacks on industrial operations and critical infrastructure. He has a bachelor's degree in Economics and English from Cornell University.

ABS Group (www.abs-group.com) provides data-driven risk and reliability solutions, including industrial cybersecurity services, to help clients reduce risk and confirm the safety, integrity, quality and efficiency of their critical assets and operations. ABS Group has over 50 years of risk management and safety experience and was recently named one of America's Best Consulting Firms of 2021 by Forbes. Headquartered in Spring, Texas, ABS Group operates with more than 1,000 professionals in over 20 countries serving the marine and offshore, oil, gas and chemical, government and industrial sectors. ABS Group is a subsidiary of ABS, one of the world's leading marine and offshore classification societies.

Produced by Brittney Warrick and Daniel Fischer, Digital Communications at ABS Group