Category Archives: Oil

FBI, CISA, Cyber Command take aim at cyber-espionage by Iran’s MuddyWater group

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U.S. and U.K. government agencies called out Iranian government-affiliated hackers Thursday, accusing them of being behind cyber-espionage targeting the defense, local government, oil and natural gas and telecommunications sectors across the globe. The joint alert points a finger at MuddyWater, which the U.S. government for the first time last month attributed directly to Tehran. In the latest warning, the government agencies said that they have observed MuddyWater on the move in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America since 2018. “MuddyWater actors are positioned both to provide stolen data and accesses to the Iranian government and to share these with other malicious cyber actors,” reads the alert. The bulletin is the joint work of the the FBI, Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the U.S. Cyber Command Cyber National Mission Force and the U.K.’s National Cyber Security Centre. MuddyWater has a long history of allegedly spying on primarily […]

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Ransomware spree hitting European oil, transport companies

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European oil and transportation services have spent all week under attack by ransomware. The latest victim, aviation services company Swissport, announced Friday that ransomware struck part of its IT infrastructure, causing flight delays and knocking its website offline. The company said last month that in 2019, it fueled 2.3 million flights, and claims 2,000 employees at 40 airports across six countries. ⚠️ A part of #Swissport’s IT infrastructure was subject to a ransomware attack. The attack has been largely contained, and we are working actively to fully resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Swissport regrets any impact the incidence has had on our service delivery. — Swissport (@swissportNews) February 4, 2022 The announcement comes one day after reports of attacks on oil port terminals in Belgium and the Netherlands. Earlier this week, two German oil companies became ransomware victims as well, forcing one of the companies into operating at […]

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Water-strider-inspired robot may one day clean up oil spills

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It’s possible that someday in the future, sunlight-powered robots may be able to swim across marine oil spills, soaking up the oil as they go. A tiny functioning prototype has already been created, and it was inspired by both the steam engine and an in… Continue reading Water-strider-inspired robot may one day clean up oil spills→

Fatty acid in palm oil linked to cancer metastasis

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A new study, published in the journal Nature, has found a key fatty acid found in palm oil can promote cancer metastasis in mice. The research, which does not claim dietary palm oil has cancer-causing properties in humans, could lead to new therapies t… Continue reading Fatty acid in palm oil linked to cancer metastasis→

Cyberattack disrupts Colonial Pipeline, which transports 100 million gallons of fuel daily

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A cyberattack has temporarily halted operations at Colonial Pipeline, the largest pipeline system for moving gas and diesel products in the U.S., the company said Friday. Colonial Pipeline, which delivers more than 100 million gallons of fuel daily to customers from Texas to New York, said that after learning of the incident on Friday that it “proactively took certain systems offline to contain the threat, which has temporarily halted all pipeline operations and affected some of our IT systems.” It was unclear at press time Saturday morning who was responsible for the digital intrusion or how long the company’s pipeline operations would be halted. Multiple media reports suggested the incident was a ransomware attack. A Colonial Pipeline spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Colonial Pipeline sad it had contacted law enforcement and other federal agencies, and that efforts to restore normal operations were “already underway.” “[W]e […]

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Biodegradable plant-pollen sponges could soak up oil spills

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Last year, we heard how scientists had created eco-friendly soft gel particles from hard grains of pollen. Now, they’ve used those particles to create sponges that could soak up oil spills, then biodegrade once used up.Continue ReadingCategory: Environ… Continue reading Biodegradable plant-pollen sponges could soak up oil spills→

Bacterial biofilm wrings oil out of water

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Once oil gets into water, it can be difficult to separate the two, which can make polluted water tricky to clean up. Now, researchers at North Carolina (NC) State University have found that a bacterial biofilm membrane can effectively let water through… Continue reading Bacterial biofilm wrings oil out of water→

Flexible cement is made to fill the fine gaps around leaky gas wells

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Leaky gas wells are not only a waste of natural resources, but a significant player when it comes to climate change via the release of methane into the atmosphere. Engineers at Penn State University have developed a new type of flexible cement they say… Continue reading Flexible cement is made to fill the fine gaps around leaky gas wells→