The Seminar “Cybersecurity in Critical Infrastructures: Risks, Opportunities and Priorities” was held October 9-10, 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and was co-organized by ARPEL, the Organization of American States (OAS) and YPF with the support of the Argentine Government through the Ministry of Modernization and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship.

The event was carried out as part of a strong line of action on cybersecurity developed by the OAS with the states and by ARPEL with the oil and gas companies in Latin America and the Caribbean.

During the event, various issues were addressed such as the current scenario of cybersecurity and its challenges, the importance of the regulation as a driver for preparedness and response to threats, and the importance of risk analysis, among others. Case studies of successful implementation were also presented.

The current framework of business has changed substantially in recent years by the increasing digitalization, among other reason. This has brought new business models, forms of social interaction and also new risks that must be managed.

On the other hand, a tendency has been identified that cyberattacks are increasingly addressed to OT (operational technologies).

The World Economic Forum (WEF) identified cybersecurity as one of the current major risks at a global level with potential impacts comparable to those generated by natural disasters.

At the international level, three out of every four oil and gas companies have been victims of frequent and sophisticated cyberattacks. In addition, 80 % of companies in the sector have seen an increase in the number of cyberattacks during 2017. This is due to the fact that some characteristics of the energy sector make it an ideal target for industrial cyberattacks.

Link to the document: https://arpel.org/library/publication/511/