Halliburton confirms data theft in ongoing cyberattack

Halliburton has confirmed a significant data breach following a recent cyberattack, with the company evaluating the stolen information and assessing the impact on its operations. The breach led to the temporary shutdown of some systems, and details on the affected data remain scarce.

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Energy giant Halliburton has confirmed that it was targeted in a significant cyberattack last week, leading to unauthorized access and exfiltration of data. The company disclosed the breach in a regulatory filing on Tuesday, stating it is in the process of evaluating the scope of the stolen information and determining the necessary breach notifications.

Following the attack, Halliburton took several systems offline as a precautionary measure and is now assessing the impact on its oil and fracking operations. The company’s spokesperson, Amina Rivera, declined to provide further details on the types of data compromised or the specifics of the incident. The ongoing investigation includes efforts to restore affected systems and evaluate the extent of the data breach.

Halliburton, one of the world’s largest energy companies with nearly 48,000 employees globally, has faced public scrutiny in the past due to its involvement in the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster. The company is now grappling with the repercussions of the recent cyberattack, which has left many of its public-facing systems still offline.

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Although Halliburton has not confirmed if ransomware is involved, the dark web leak site RansomHub, known for extorting victims by publishing stolen files, has yet to list Halliburton as one of its targets. The ransomware gang RansomHub has claimed over 210 victims since its inception in February 2024 and has been linked to other high-profile attacks, including one on Change Healthcare.

The financial impact of the cyberattack on Halliburton is still unfolding. The company reported $23 billion in revenue for 2023, and its CEO, Jeff Miller, earned $19 million in total compensation during the same period. Despite this, Halliburton has not disclosed who currently manages its cybersecurity or made it available for interviews.