Petrochemicals

An industry that produces and markets chemicals and products derived from petroleum or natural gas.

Threats & Risks

Fires and Explosions

Petrochemical facilities typically involve the handling and processing of flammable and combustible materials, which can result in fires and explosions. These incidents can result in injuries or fatalities, as well as significant property damage.

Chemical Releases

Chemical releases can occur due to equipment failures, human error, or natural disasters. These releases can result in environmental contamination and pose health risks to nearby communities.

Equipment Failures

Petrochemical facilities rely on a range of complex equipment, including pumps, valves, and vessels. Equipment failures can result in production disruptions, as well as safety and environmental hazards.

Natural Disasters

Natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes can damage petrochemical facilities, resulting in production disruptions and environmental contamination.

Cyberattacks on Industrial Control Systems (ICS)

Petrochemical facilities rely on complex industrial control systems to monitor and control their operations. These systems are vulnerable to cyberattacks, which can result in production disruptions, equipment damage, and safety hazards.

Ransomware Attacks

Ransomware attacks involve encrypting data and demanding payment in exchange for the decryption key. A successful ransomware attack can result in the exposure of sensitive information, as well as the disruption of petrochemical operations.

Intellectual Property Theft

The petrochemical industry involves proprietary technology and processes that are valuable to competitors and foreign adversaries. Cybercriminals may target petrochemical companies to steal intellectual property and gain a competitive advantage.

Phishing Attacks

Phishing attacks involve using fraudulent emails or websites to trick users into revealing sensitive information or installing malware. Petrochemical companies may be targeted by phishing attacks to gain access to their networks or steal sensitive information.

Insider Threats

Petrochemical companies must also contend with the threat of insider attacks, where employees with access to sensitive information intentionally or unintentionally cause a data breach or system disruption

Intellectual Property Theft

The petrochemical industry relies on proprietary technology and processes to manufacture its products. Cybercriminals may target petrochemical companies to steal intellectual property and gain a competitive advantage.

Employee Data Breaches

Petrochemical companies store a range of sensitive employee data, including social security numbers, health information, and financial data. A breach of this information can result in identity theft and financial losses for affected employees.

Third-Party Data Breaches

Petrochemical companies work with a range of third-party vendors and partners, who may also store sensitive information related to petrochemical operations. A breach of this information can result in significant reputational damage and financial losses.

System Failures

Petrochemical companies rely on complex IT systems to manage their operations, including process control, supply chain management, and financial systems. System failures can result in production disruptions, lost data, and revenue losses.

Natural Disasters

Natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes can damage IT infrastructure, resulting in IT service disruptions.

Human Error

Human error can also result in IT service disruptions, such as accidental deletion of critical data or misconfiguration of IT systems.

Supply Chain Disruptions

IT service disruptions can also occur due to supply chain disruptions, such as delays in the delivery of critical IT equipment or components.

Health and Safety Incidents

Health and safety incidents such as fires, explosions, and chemical releases can result in production disruptions, facility damage, and reputational damage.

Supply Chain Disruptions

Petrochemical companies rely on a complex global supply chain to source raw materials, transport finished products, and manage logistics. Supply chain disruptions, such as transportation delays or shortages of critical raw materials, can result in production disruptions and revenue losses.

Regulatory Compliance

The petrochemical industry is subject to a range of regulations related to health, safety, and the environment. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in fines, legal action, and reputational damage.

Standards Compliance Requirement

Standards	Requirement	Clauses
ISO 45001	Occupational Health & Safety management system	6.1.2.1 – Hazard identification 8.2 Emergency Preparedness and Response
ISO 14001	Environmental Management Standard	8.2 Emergency Preparedness and Response
ISO 22301	Security and resilience	Clause:8 8.5 – Operations
ISO 27701	Privacy information management systems	6.13 Information security incident management 6.13.1 Management of information security incidents and improvements