On April 29 2021 cyber criminals gained entry into the networks of Colonial Pipeline Co, a major US oil and gas distributor, resulting in the complete shut down of their petrol pipeline for the first time in their 57 year history. How did the hackers access their IT networks? It was via a single compromised password. Aside from the significant disruption to fuel supplies across the Eastern coast of the US, the company paid a $5M ransom and the hackers also stole 100Gb of commercial data. Had the company used more effective cybersecurity measures then this may have been avoided or the impact mitigated.

As the Nigerian National Security Adviser, retired Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno, recently stated, the targeting of this sector is not a one-off: another example was the cyber-attack on Ukraine’s power grid in December 2015 that resulted in power outages for roughly 230,000 consumers in Ukraine.

At the sensitisation workshop for the implementation of the National Cyber security Policy and Strategy (NCPS) 2021 for Power Oil and Gas Sector in Abuja, the NSA said “These incidents have demonstrated the critical need for the sectors to be proactive in addressing the global cyber challenges while embracing the current digital transformation for efficient management, better service delivery and returns on investment.”



Globally, there is a common problem of critical infrastructure being at risk of cyber attack due to it being a prized target where a significant disruptive effect can be caused. The complexity of the systems and processes and frequently, the age of the associated information technology systems only increases the risk and means Governments, owners and operators need to focus on increasing the resilience of these infrastructures. In line with global best practice, the new NCPS 2021 is clear that Government will lead efforts to increase coordination of these efforts in partnership with the private sector companies who own and operate the majority of it.