Halliburton confirms data stolen in August cyberattack

Dive Brief:

A previously disclosed cyberattack at Halliburton disrupted parts of its operations and information was stolen in connection with the incident, the company said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission Tuesday.
Halliburton discovered the attack in late August and immediately shut off certain services as a proactive measure. It continues to offer its products and services across the globe, the company said.
The Houston company has incurred and will continue to incur certain expenses related to the attack. However, it does not expect the attack to have a material impact on its financial condition or results of operations.

Dive Insight:

The August attack initially raised concerns about a potential disruption to the energy services industry. Halliburton is one of the largest diversified energy services companies in the world, with annual revenue of $23 billion in 2023 and 48,000 employees worldwide, according to the company.

Federal authorities have repeatedly warned about an ongoing threat to critical infrastructure providers, including energy. Recent warnings have been linked to nation-state actors like Volt Typhoon and politically motivated hacktivists targeting weak cyber hygiene, however criminal actors have targeted critical industries as well.

The Department of Energy last month said there were no indications of a wider risk to the energy industry stemming from the Halliburton attack and the agency was working closely with interagency partners.

The company is evaluating the nature and the scope of the stolen information and is working to figure out what type of notifications may be required. Halliburton has been and continues to be in touch with customers and other stakeholders in connection with the attack.

The company said it remains subject to certain risks from the attack, including the diversion of management’s attention, pending litigation, changes in customer behavior and regulatory scrutiny.

A Halliburton spokesperson said the company had no comment on the incident beyond the SEC filing.