Oil & Gas Readiness
From upstream to downstream, a cyber crisis can cross IT, OT, control systems, pipelines and operations. CyberUP prepares cyber teams, IT/OT, control room teams and leadership to protect production, transport, processes and safety as pressure builds.
The response context
Operational context
Upstream, pipelines, downstream, control systems and safety define the context in which cyber and operations teams need to understand the same event. The response needs to be exercised around process dependencies.
Preserve operational capability, control and decision-making priorities during a cyber event.
Where present, SCADA systems form part of the ICS scope. Assets, flows and control systems are considered in terms of their operational dependencies.
A systems event can affect processes, flows, safety and operational continuity.
Technical evidence, operating conditions and recovery priorities need to inform the same decision-making picture.
Scope, conditions and responsibilities depend on the individual organisation. Upstream, pipelines and downstream are not treated as equivalent environments or as sharing one readiness profile.
Incident / Crisis Response
Cyber, IT/OT, control room and operations teams need to connect events in systems with changes in the process. The response requires a shared view, keeping containment connected to operational control.
SOC and cyber teams gather initial information on events that may affect assets, systems and processes.
Initial information is assessed with IT/OT and operations teams against the segments involved, flows and possible operational consequences.
Teams check systems, assets and dependencies with the control room, distinguishing what is known from conditions still to be clarified.
Impact, uncertainties and priorities are shared according to the organisation’s thresholds, responsibilities and procedures.
Cyber, IT/OT, control room and operations teams practise joint decisions so that containment accounts for operating conditions and safety.
Recovery and restart are aligned with process conditions, dependencies, responsibilities and safety requirements.
Activities may overlap and repeat. Thresholds, priorities and the involvement of each function depend on the scenario and the organisation’s procedures, not a universal timetable.
Responsibilities to exercise
Cyber, IT/OT, control room and operations teams retain distinct roles. Readiness becomes visible in the quality of shared information and the decisions that connect those roles.
Cyber + IT/OT readiness
Cyber, IT and OT teams practise detection, investigation and containment without separating technical evidence from the industrial context. SCADA systems are considered within the relevant ICS context.
Control room + Operations
Control room teams, operations and leadership practise operational priorities, process decisions and recovery consistent with their safety responsibilities.
The control room contributes to understanding the event throughout the response. Functions are involved according to the scenario and procedures; responsibility for safety does not transfer to the cyber team alone.
Exercise Lifecycle
The scenario connects the cyber threat, IT/OT environment, pipelines or process control, the control room and business continuity. The focus is the process that must remain manageable within the agreed scope.
Define the process, systems, dependencies, safety conditions and exercise objectives.
Introduce a realistic event within the agreed exercise scope.
Connect cyber response, control room decisions and containment to process conditions.
Oversee the exercise and observe coordination, evidence and operational decisions.
Capture gaps, priorities and programme improvement actions in the debrief.
The White Team oversees the entire exercise. Control makes this cross-cutting role explicit; it does not mark the point at which oversight begins.
Industrial Business Continuity
Containment, safety, flows, processes and recovery need to be managed while the incident is unfolding. The exercise connects these areas without conflating cyber response with safety management.
Process control
The response is observed where technical security, the industrial environment, safety and process continuity meet.
Process and operating conditions need to be shared when making containment and stabilisation decisions.
Recovery and safety
Restart sequencing, priorities, communications and responsibilities are exercised as parts of the same scenario.
The exercise connects recovery and safety; it does not replace the organisation’s operational procedures or responsibilities.
Cyber Arena
The Cyber Arena enables exercises involving IT/OT systems and processes, with observation of the joint response by cyber teams, control room teams, operations and leadership, in an environment isolated or segregated from the client’s production network.
Scope and conditions
In dedicated solutions, the project selects the systems, pipelines, processes and dependencies to exercise. SCADA is included within the ICS scope where relevant. Training Arena uses generic CyberUP environments rather than replicating the organisation’s specific systems.
The exercise environment is isolated or segregated from the client’s production network. Connectivity for remote access, support and updates is controlled according to the configuration. This is not absolute isolation from every network or from external threats.
Coordination, decisions, containment and recovery are considered alongside the process and safety conditions in the scenario. Evidence applies to the scope exercised; it does not guarantee continuity or certify plant safety.
Explore the environment, scope and exercise formats.
Oil & Gas
We start with upstream, downstream, pipelines, IT/OT environments, control rooms and operational dependencies to build a readiness programme that reflects your processes.
A discussion focused on upstream, downstream, pipelines, process control, OT / ICS and process continuity. Email us directly or fill in the form below.
Email us directly or fill in the form below: we’ll get back to you.
Email us: info@cyberupinstitute.com
Your current interest: Oil & Gas
