European oil facilities hit by cyber-attacks

Multiple oil transport and storage companies across Europe are dealing with cyber-attacks. IT systems have been disrupted at Oiltanking in Germany, SEA-Invest in Belgium and Evos in the Netherlands. Dozens of oil terminals have been affected, with firms reporting that the attacks occurred over the weekend.

But experts caution against assuming this is a coordinated attack.

It’s understood that all three companies’ IT systems went down or were severely disrupted.

Belgian prosecutors say they are investigating the cyber-attacks that have affected SEA-Invest terminals including the company’s largest in Antwerp, called SEA-Tank. A spokeswoman for the company said they were hit on Sunday with every port they run in Europe and Africa affected.

The company is working to get a backup 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”.

On Monday 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.

Some reports suggest the attack on Oiltanking is ransomware, where hackers scramble data and make computer systems inoperable until they get paid a ransom.

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, as reported by BBC News.

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