Canadian Intelligence Warns of the Threat of Russian Hackers’ Cyberattacks on the Country’s Oil and Gas Sector

Daniel ZimmermannJune 23, 2023

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Canada’s Communications Security Center (CSE) (a division of Canada’s intelligence service) said cyber attacks by Russian hackers could try to disrupt Canada’s oil and gas sector.

According to the CSE, Russia has repeatedly used cyberattacks and committed crimes in the field of information security in the face of escalating geopolitical confrontations.

We estimate that there is a 50% chance of a destabilizing incident in Canada’s oil and gas sector caused by Russian-backed hackers, as they have a higher risk tolerance, increase in numbers and activity, and because of the large number of vulnerable targets in the sector.the threat report says.

Let me remind you that we also wrote that Canadian Police Arrests Russian Man Involved in LockBit Ransomware Attacks, and that Ragnar Locker Attacks Greek Gas Company Desfa.

The media also said that The FBI Disrupted the Cyberspyware “Snake” that the Russian FSB Used for 20 Years.

Canada is the fourth largest oil producer in the world. The CSE reported that the country’s oil and gas sector employs about 600,000 people and accounts for 5% of GDP.

The Security Center noted that the most likely target for cyberattacks by pro-Russian hackers are operational technological networks that control large industrial assets. The CSE also reported that Russian-backed hackers are trying to infiltrate the networks of Canadian critical infrastructure companies and organizations in the oil and gas sector.

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the oil and gas sector for national security, since much of our critical infrastructure depends on oil and gas products.the agency said.

The CSE suggested that the purpose of the cyberattacks is to disrupt the operation of critical services for the psychological effect and weaken Canada’s support for Ukraine.

On one of Canada’s unnamed gas pipelines, a cybersecurity incident occurred on February 25 this year, which, according to local officials, could even cause a combustible substance to detonate and incur human casualties.

Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, also confirmed the cyber attack on the gas pipeline, but emphasized that the attack did not cause any physical damage to the energy infrastructure. However, according to local law enforcement agencies who were investigating the incident, the cyberattack was aimed primarily at causing the maximum possible economic damage to Canada’s energy infrastructure.

They blame the Russian-speaking hacker group “Zarya” for everything, presumably based on the territory of the Russian Federation.

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