Uche Usim and Adewale Sanyaolu, Abuja
The Federal Government has been advised to develop policies, legislation and sustainable operational framework that will help protect the oil and gas industry’s vital data against cyber attacks.
The Technical Assistant (Gas Business & Policy) to Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Justice Derefaka, made the call during a panel session at the ongoing 2020 edition of the Nigerian International Petroleum Summit (NIPS) in Abuja.
He said: “Government needs to develop policies and legislation to address the threat to data. Use of information technology and operational technology expose the industry and render it vulnerable to cyber attack,” Derefaka told the audience.
According to him, sharing of intelligence among operators in the industry and simulating situations before cyber-attacks can help reduce vulnerability.
In his contribution, Amusa Babatunde Adeyemi, Senior Account Representative, Huawei Enterprise Energy Business, said that legislation is important in addressing the issues of data vulnerability in the industry, adding that the ability of the different technologies used in different operations in the industry, to interoperate with one another, will greatly reduce exposure and vulnerability.
Earlier, Dan David, Managing Director, CyberSocAfrica, told delegates at the summit that the use of technology, despite its benefits, also exposes the oil and gas industry to threats.
“The oil and gas industry is marching towards digitalisation and adoption of new technologies. The use of new technology is also to check the attack of cyber security issues in order to make the industry more secure and safe,” David said.
The session also featured key industry players such as Alex Nachi Tarka, President, Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists, Gbenga Onadeko, Senior Vice President, USA and Carribeans, Welltec; Richard Llewellyn, Managing Director, Benchmark Geophysical Consulting Limited, as well as Omar Farouk Ibhahim , Secretary General, Africa Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO).
The session highlighted the impact of technology, policy, social, and changes in business model on the demand and supply sides of the oil and gas business. It also suggested plausible scenarios that policy makers can adopt as a response to various challenges in managing emissions and investing in infrastructure.