Oil transport and storage facilities hit by possible cyber-attack
A possible cyber-attack has resulted in IT systems being disrupted at oil transport and storage facilities across Europe.
The Oiltanking in Germany, SEA-Invest in Belgium and Evos in the Netherlands have all suffered disruptions in recent days.
According to the BBC, Belgian officials are probing the cyberattack that's affected SEA-Invest terminals including the company's largest in Antwerp, called SEA-Tank.
A spokeswoman for the company said they were hit on February 1 with every port they run in Europe and Africa affected.
The company is working to get a back-up IT system online, but says that most liquid transportation is operational.
The spokeswoman said SEA-Invest is aware of the cyber-attacks against other companies but investigations have not determined if there is a link.
A spokesperson for Evos in the Netherlands told the BBC that IT services at terminals in Terneuzen, Ghent and Malta have "caused some delays in execution".
Oiltanking Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, which stores and transports oil, vehicle fuels and other petroleum products, said it had been hacked.
The company was forced to operate at a "limited capacity" and was investigating the incident, it said.
In May last year a ransomware attack on US oil supplier Colonial Pipeline saw supplies tighten across the US and multiple states declaring an emergency.
The disruption comes as tensions remain high between Ukraine and Russia and as concern over rising energy prices grows.
However, cyber-security experts caution against jumping to the conclusion that the multiple incidents are the result of a co-ordinated effort to disrupt the European energy sector.
The Oiltanking in Germany, SEA-Invest in Belgium and Evos in the Netherlands have all suffered disruptions in recent days.
According to the BBC, Belgian officials are probing the cyberattack that's affected SEA-Invest terminals including the company's largest in Antwerp, called SEA-Tank.
A spokeswoman for the company said they were hit on February 1 with every port they run in Europe and Africa affected.
The company is working to get a back-up IT system online, but says that most liquid transportation is operational.
The spokeswoman said SEA-Invest is aware of the cyber-attacks against other companies but investigations have not determined if there is a link.
A spokesperson for Evos in the Netherlands told the BBC that IT services at terminals in Terneuzen, Ghent and Malta have "caused some delays in execution".
Oiltanking Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, which stores and transports oil, vehicle fuels and other petroleum products, said it had been hacked.
The company was forced to operate at a "limited capacity" and was investigating the incident, it said.
In May last year a ransomware attack on US oil supplier Colonial Pipeline saw supplies tighten across the US and multiple states declaring an emergency.
The disruption comes as tensions remain high between Ukraine and Russia and as concern over rising energy prices grows.
However, cyber-security experts caution against jumping to the conclusion that the multiple incidents are the result of a co-ordinated effort to disrupt the European energy sector.
