US Oil Giant Halliburton Hit by a Cyberattack Creating System Disruptions

• The American Halliburton oilfield services giant announced that a cyber attack disrupted its systems.
• The security incident affected some of the company’s global networks.
• The company's north Houston campus business operations were also impacted by the cyberattack, which remains unclaimed.

Halliburton, one of the world's largest providers of oilfield products and services, was hit by a cyber attack on Wednesday, according to a Reuters report that cites a source familiar with the matter. An investigation into the attack is ongoing.

The cyberattack affected the company's north Houston campus business operations and global connectivity networks, with some staff being asked not to connect to internal networks. Halliburton said it was aware of a security issue impacting some of their systems and enlisted the help of experts in an active inquiry. 

It's unclear what exactly is happening at Halliburton, and ransomware was not mentioned, but the nature and scope of this attack are expected to be revealed after the company’s investigation concludes.

The company is based in Houston, Texas, and is listed as the world's second-largest oil service company, responsible for most of the world's biggest fracking operations. It employs approximately 55,000 people in more than 70 countries.

An attack attributed to DarkSide Ransomware by the FBI hit the Colonial Pipeline in 2021, causing the shutdown of the major fuel supply line, which was the same year when DarkSide went defunct.

Several U.S. companies have suffered ransomware attacks in recent years. American not-for-profit credit union Patelco was hit by a ransomware attack on June 29.

Revenue and payment cycle management provider Change Healthcare (CHC) experienced a ransomware attack in February this year that was claimed by the cybercriminal group ALPHV and resulted in severe system outages impacting billing and pharmacies in the U.S.

The Medusa ransomware group claimed three new organizations in the U.S. and Canada: GEMCO Constructors, Dynamo Electric, and Farnell Packaging.