Zhitong Finance learned that the US oil field service company Halliburton (HAL.US) was cyberattacked by hackers on Wednesday, according to people familiar with the matter. Halliburton said that issues affecting some of the company's systems have been discovered and efforts are being made to determine the cause and impact of the problem. A spokesperson said in an emailed statement that the company is also working with “leading external experts” to address this issue. The source said the attack appears to have affected business operations at the company's northern Houston campus, as well as some global connectivity networks. The person familiar with the matter said that Halliburton has asked some employees not to connect to the internal network.

Halliburton, headquartered in Houston, Texas, USA, is one of the world's largest oil field service companies, providing drilling services and equipment to major global energy producers. By the end of last year, the company had nearly 0.048 million employees and operated in more than 70 countries.

Cyber attacks have always been a major challenge plaguing the energy industry. In 2021, hackers attacked the refined oil pipeline operator Colonial Pipeline with ransomware, causing the main fuel supply line to shut down for several days. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) believes that the invasion was carried out by a gang called DarkSide, which led to soaring gasoline prices, panic purchases, and local fuel shortages.

In recent years, several major US companies have been attacked by hacking software, including UnitedHealth Group (UNH.US), gaming giant MGM Resorts International (MGM.US), Caesars Entertainment (CZR.US), and consumer goods manufacturer CLX.US (CLX.US).

Although it's unclear exactly what happened to Halliburton's internal data, the ransomware operates by encrypting victims' data. Typically, hackers provide victims with keys in exchange for hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in cryptocurrency payments. If victims refuse, hackers sometimes threaten to leak confidential data to increase the pressure.

For example, DarkSide, a ransomware organization suspected by the US authorities of attacking the Colonial Pipeline, said it wanted a ransom. The CEO of Colonial Pipeline said his company paid a ransom of $4.4 million because executives were unsure about the extent of the breach to their systems and how long it would take to restore the pipeline.