Defending midstream operations against cyber threats: ransomware

The midstream and LNG sectors already have many strategic and day-to-day operational concerns, but now they must be wary of ransomware, a cybersecurity threat to operational technology (OT). Ransomware is an insidious form of malware that can encrypt critical data until a large ransom is paid. Typically, after encrypting files, ransomware displays a note on infected devices with the ransom amount and payment instructions. For industrial enterprises, ransomware focuses on causing costly disruptions dwarfing the ransom demand. In February 2020, for example, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), part of the Department of Homeland Security, reported that an unnamed m