Industrial ICT systems

ICT covers computers, software, systems and networks, and is essential for safe and efficient operations both offshore and on land. Industrial ICT systems manage processes, monitor possible gas emissions or fires, and handle safe shutdown of facilities and platforms. That means they represent safety-critical equipment and solutions, which need good and robust protection – including against ICT security incidents.

The PSA has been following up the industry’s work on ICT systems for many years. Attention has been directed at the industrial solutions and company efforts to safeguard these.

An important part of this commitment involves learning more, so that we maintain an overall picture of ICT challenges and risks in the sector. We will look in depth at a number of important areas, and increase what we know about the technology developments now under way and how they affect the risk picture.

Sintef, DNV and Sopra Steira has produced a number of reports for the PSA which investigate various aspects of ICT security and the job of keeping the petroleum sector robust against cyber threats. These studies help to concentrate and increase understanding of this issue in the industry, and can in that way contribute to increasing defences against undesirable incidents in industrial ICT systems for petroleum-related operations.