Cyber threat in O&G is real

MANAMA: Against a backdrop of escalating geopolitical and geo-economic tensions, one of the biggest threats nations face today is from state-sponsored cyber warfare as they can infiltrate the critical infrastructure of countries around the world.

In an exclusive interview, Emile Abou Saleh, Regional Director, Middle East and Africa for Proofpoint, tells OGN the implications of oil and gas lowering their guards when it comes to cybersecurity

'Any attack on critical infrastructure in one sector may lead to disruption in other sectors as well,' he said, adding the threat landscape for utilities has expanded to include more threats from more actors, such as nation-state actors, who have demonstrated greater willingness to target infrastructure providers as part of their broader campaigns.

Industry needs to step up with digitalisation

MANAMA: The urgency for innovation is more pressing than ever.

'As we are faced with major societal, technological, and political change, it is important for oil and gas companies to reduce their carbon footprint and drive transformation towards sustainability, all while faced by volatile markets that is forcing them to tighten budgets,' Eman Kawas, Co-Founder, Chief Growth Officer, Thynkli, tells OGN.

'Implementing technology in oil and gas has enabled savings between $60-$100 million through optimised operations. What if you can design an innovative business model to digitalise and redefine the core of the business and enable decentralisation and agility? The approach will attract workforce and government policies to serve the goals of the business instead of constant threats to the model,' she says.