PSA stresses need for Norwegian IT safeguards during current crisis

Offshore staff

OSLO, Norway – The Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) is monitoring potential threats to Norway’s petroleum industry posed by the war in Ukraine.

Russia invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the importance of safe and secure operation on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS), the Authority said.

Norway is helping to secure Europe’s needs by maintaining a high level of oil and gas production. The PSA stresses the close connection between safety and high regularity in the supply chain.

The Norwegian authorities have been examining addressed the intelligence threat to the petroleum sector and the need to strengthen Information and Communications Technology (ICT) security, with the PSA focused on industrial ICT systems.

It is important that each enterprise checks how they are protecting their systems, it added, along with their own emergency plans for responding to ICT security incidents relating to both industrial systems and office operations, and security in general.

The PSA also recommended that companies check supplier contracts and contact lists, and assure themselves that these are correct and will function if support is needed. The PSA also reminds companies of their duty to notify/report cyber incidents as they would with other hazards and accidents in the petroleum industry.

4/8/2022