Halliburton, a leading U.S. oilfield services company, has confirmed that a hacker gained unauthorised access to its computer systems in August, extracting data in the process.
The company is currently assessing the extent and nature of the information compromised but noted that the incident is unlikely to have a material impact on its operations.
When approached by Reuters for further details regarding the type of data stolen and any costs associated with the breach, Halliburton declined to provide additional comments. The company also did not immediately clarify whether there had been any direct communication from the hackers.
In recent years, U.S. energy companies have faced a series of cyberattacks, including ransomware incidents. One notable case in 2021 involved Colonial Pipeline, which paid $4.4 million in ransom amid uncertainty over the breach’s severity.
Halliburton’s shares experienced a 1.1% dip in premarket trading following news of the breach.
The company acknowledged that the cyber incident had caused disruptions and restricted access to parts of its business applications. In response, Halliburton activated its cybersecurity response plan and initiated an internal investigation, enlisting external advisors to help assess and address the unauthorised activity as soon as it was detected.