Assessment of Cybersecurity Challenges in the Oil and Gas Sector in Akwa Ibom State

The oil and gas sector in Akwa Ibom State operates critical industrial control systems and handles commercially sensitive data that are attractive targets for nation-state and criminal cyber actors, and documenting the cybersecurity challenges in this sector provides important evidence for industry-specific security governance. This study assessed the cybersecurity challenges of oil and gas companies operating in Eket, Esit Eket, and Uquo LGAs of Akwa Ibom State, South South Nigeria. A descriptive survey was conducted among 60 IT and operational technology security personnel from eight oil and gas companies using purposive sampling. The questionnaire assessed ICS/SCADA security management, IT-OT network convergence challenges, threat landscape awareness, regulatory compliance status, and workforce security competency. Results showed that only 37.5 percent of respondents' companies had conducted OT-specific security assessments. IT-OT convergence was managed with dedicated segmentation in only 50.0 percent. Awareness of ICS-specific threats (e.g., Industroyer, TRITON) was adequate in only 23.3 percent of security personnel. DPR regulatory compliance in cybersecurity dimensions was achieved by 62.5 percent. The study concludes that cybersecurity challenges in the Akwa Ibom oil and gas sector are significant and sector-specific. Recommendations include OT security specialist workforce development, mandatory ICS security assessments by DPR, and oil sector threat intelligence sharing partnerships in the South South zone.

Keywords: oil and gas cybersecurity, ICS security, Akwa Ibom State, OT security, critical infrastructure