- Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA says it was hit by cyberattack
- This appears to be a ransomware incident as systems and shipping appear to be disrupted.
- The Venezuelan Oil Ministry accuses the United States of being responsible for the attack.
Venezuelan state-owned oil company Patroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) says it recently suffered a cyberattack from the United States.
PDVSA says operations are not affected, but sources say systems have been dismantled and deliveries of oil goods suspended, PK Press Club reports.
The organization struggled to restore key systems after the incident, with staff told to turn off computers, disconnect WiFi and cut external hardware connections, internal memos seen by Bloomberg confirm – with delays in planned loads and “forced emergency measures across the company”.
An escalating conflict
Although details are not yet confirmed, it seems likely that this incident is a ransomware attack given the instructions to disconnect WiFi, as this is likely an attempt to quarantine any affected devices or servers to prevent attackers from gaining further access.
US President Trump has since ordered a “total and complete” blockade of “all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela” – which the Venezuelan government calls a “grotesque threat”.
In a statement, PDVSA categorically rejected what it called “a despicable act, orchestrated by foreign interests in collusion with unpatriotic actors seeking to undermine the country’s right to sovereign energy development.” [machine translated].
The organization goes on to explain: “This attempted attack is part of the US government’s public strategy to seize Venezuelan oil through force and piracy. The working class in the hydrocarbon industry has faced similar attacks in the past.
This comes after the United States seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela that it said was “used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela to Iran.” However, analysis of satellite images of ABC reveals that location data may have been “deliberately manipulated” to justify the seizure.
The United States has moved warships into the region, with thousands of troops positioned by the United States within “strike distance” of Venezuela, and new sanctions have been imposed on more ships carrying Venezuelan oil.
“Nothing and no one will stop the victorious march of the PDVSA and its working class in the service of all Venezuelans,” concludes the PDVSA.
Via PK Press Club
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