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Cyberattack disrupts Venezuelan oil giant PDVSA's operations. Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), Venezuela's state-owned oil company, was hit by a cyberattack over the weekend that disrupted its export operations. In a Monday statement, PDVSA denied that the Saturday morning incident affected its operations in any way, adding that the breach was limited to some administrative systems. "Thanks to the expertise of PDVSA's human talent, the operational areas were not affected in any way, with the attack being limited to its administrative system," the company said. "Therefore, the industry's operational continuity is maintained through the implementation of secure protocols that allow for its regular activities in the supply of products to the domestic market, as well as the fulfillment of all its export commitments." However, according to an internal memo seen by Bloomberg, PDVSA instructed operational and administrative staff to disconnect from the network and shut down their computers. Three sources familiar with the situation also told Bloomberg that systems on PDVSA's network that manage the country's main crude terminal were still offline on Monday. This was confirmed by Reuters in a report citing an inside source who said, "There's no delivery (of cargoes), all systems are down." ​This cyberattack comes amid escalating tensions between Venezuela and the United States. Last week, U.S. authorities seized a sanctioned oil tanker with Venezuelan crude, the first such seizure since the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned PDVSA in January 2019. In its Monday statement, PDVSA also blamed the United States and domestic conspirators for orchestrating the attack as part of an attempt "to undermine national stability." "This attempted aggression is part of the US government's public strategy to seize Venezuelan oil by force and piracy," the company said. "Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. categorically rejects this despicable action, orchestrated by foreign interests in collusion with unpatriotic elements seeking to undermine the country's right to sovereign energy development." Venezuela is one of the world's major oil-producing countries and a top global oil exporter. PDVSA oversees the country's oil production, refining, and exports, as well as the exploration and production of natural gas. Break down IAM silos like Bitpanda, KnowBe4, and PathAI Broken IAM isn't just an IT problem - the impact ripples across your whole business. This practical guide covers why traditional IAM practices fail to keep up with modern demands, examples of what "good" IAM looks like, and a simple checklist for building a scalable strategy.

Daily Brief Summary

CYBERCRIME // Cyberattack Disrupts Operations of Venezuelan Oil Giant PDVSA

Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) experienced a cyberattack disrupting export operations, though the company claims operational areas remained unaffected due to secure protocols.

An internal memo revealed instructions for staff to disconnect from the network, suggesting broader impact than publicly acknowledged.

Systems managing Venezuela's main crude terminal were reportedly offline, halting cargo deliveries and affecting supply chain continuity.

The attack coincides with rising tensions between Venezuela and the United States, following a U.S. seizure of a sanctioned Venezuelan oil tanker.

PDVSA accused the U.S. and domestic conspirators of orchestrating the attack to destabilize national energy operations.

Venezuela, a significant global oil exporter, relies heavily on PDVSA for its economic stability, making such disruptions particularly impactful.

This incident underscores the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to cyber threats amid geopolitical tensions.