Halliburton alerts oil clients after cybersecurity breach, activates response plan

(Bloomberg) — Halliburton Co., the world’s biggest provider of fracing services, said it’s alerting customers and other stakeholders after an unauthorized third party gained access to some of its systems.

The Houston oilfield contractor has activated its cybersecurity response plan that includes taking certain systems offline for protection as well as notifying law enforcement, it said in a filing with U.S. regulators. When reached by phone Friday, a company representative declined to comment further.

“The company’s ongoing investigation and response include restoration of its systems and assessment of materiality,” according to the filing, noting that Halliburton is still working to identify any effects from the incident.

The attack comes as the oil industry is increasingly relying on digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, to drill more wells for less money. With its global footprint, Halliburton is one of the industry’s largest contractors helping oil and natural gas companies from the U.S. to Asia find underground pockets of hydrocarbons and complete new wells.

The U.S. Department of Energy said in an email it’s aware of a cyber incident affecting an energy contractor, but added there are no indications the issue is impacting services.  

It’s not the first cyber incident to affect the U.S. energy sector. In May 2021, a ransomware hack against Colonial Pipeline Co. caught the U.S. government by surprise after it led to gas shortages along the eastern coast, leading to greater focus on hacks against critical infrastructure as a national security priority. 

Since then, the U.S. has continued to suffer a string of incidents affecting critical services, including food production, hospital and water systems. Later in May 2021, a hack against meat producer JBS SA disrupted beef supplies. In August 2023, a hack against Clorox Co. led to shortages of cleaning supplies and other products on shelves.

In February, a ransom hack against Change Healthcare, a unit of insurer UnitedHealth Group Inc., paralyzed much of the country’s health-care systems and exposed patient medical data. The same month, U.S. pharmaceutical company Cencora Inc., said it also suffered a hack. In March, Jake Sullivan, U.S. national security adviser, warned governors that disabling cyberattacks were striking water and wastewater systems throughout the country, with the potential to disrupt the supply of safe drinking water. In June, ransomware hackers targeted software company CDK Global LLC, disrupting thousands of auto dealerships for weeks.

CISA, the U.S. cyber defense agency, and the FBI declined comment.

Halliburton said it first became aware of the attack Aug. 21, releasing a company statement later that day of an issue affecting certain company systems.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Keith Mackey amplified the Halliburton filing in a note to investors Friday, giving a “neutral” reaction to the incident. Halliburton shares rose 1.96% to $31.74 at 12:38 p.m. in NY on Friday amid a broader surge in the overall market.