US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz recently announced the creation of a new public-private partnership comprised of the Energy Department, industry experts, the Department of Homeland Security and other stakeholders, in a drive to strengthen cyber-security capabilities for the US oil and gas industry. This partnership will create tools to help operators assess their cyber-security resources and prioritise their actions and investments to improve security.

Owing to increased frequency and sophistication of cyber threats, creating methods for industry operators to tackle this issue across the energy sector is now a top priority for the Obama administration.  The electricity industry has seen success in implementing this new initiative and it is now being rolled out across the oil and gas sector.

Patrick Phelan, managing director of Aquaterra Energy, commented on the new initiative: “Businesses that operate internationally are particularly vulnerable to cyber-attacks and public and private partnerships are undoubtedly the best way to address these issues.  As a business operating at an international level, we welcome this move to ensure that risks are limited for individual businesses and the industry as a whole.”