Recent discussions with industrial teams have underscored how rapidly the digital “threatscape” is evolving across global energy systems, from oil and gas to chemicals, specialty gases, power generation, and transmission and distribution networks, says ABS Consulting Technical Director, Global Energy, Marco Ayala.
The petrochemical sector must manage cyber risk amid supply chain and cyber vulnerabilities.
Facing volatile energy prices, margin compression, supply chain disruptions and evolving regulatory requirements, the petrochemical sector demands practical solutions to help operators manage these interconnected risks.
As digital transformation continues to redefine operations, protecting industrial control systems from cyber threats remains a top priority.
Here’s how to start planning for long-term risk reduction and resilience in 2026:
Start Buffering to Stay Ahead of Cyber Risk
With more IT and operational technology (OT) systems converging across industrial operations, the entire energy value chain is at risk. Systems have become even more complex, and complexity breeds vulnerabilities from both the technical and human sides.
Already, there’s a form of “normalization of deviance” elevating risk in industrial settings without an objective third-party assessment of emerging technologies—and the industry often doesn’t act until an incident occurs.
In 2026 and beyond, an invisible, and what some analysts estimate to be a trillion-dollar threat to uptime, is cyber vulnerability. Yet many companies still believe this is an IT, not an OT, problem.
Petrochemical operators not only require comprehensive process hazard analyses of systems, procedures and computer software but also, increasingly, more robust industrial cybersecurity programs to effectively manage and reduce risk across strictly regulated operations. The sector is adopting a standards-based approach to securing industrial automation and control systems against cyber threats, such as the International Society of Automation and International Electrotechnical Commission (ISA/IEC) 62443 series of standards.
Before an incident occurs, operational readiness and availability are key. Expect to see companies begin buffering their suppliers with strategic procurement to stay ahead of future unplanned outages.
Pursue Operational Prudence
Over the past four decades of digitizing equipment and systems, traditional industries have brought in a slew of emerging technologies that are not always fully vetted or properly assessed outside of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or vendor’s own due diligence. Without a cold-eye peer review, this creates bias right out of the gate and prevents organizations from knowing what a tolerable risk state is for their business.
Organizations must pursue operational prudence with a clear mind, having full visibility of their control systems risk, to safeguard an operation’s crown jewels.
An industry must first understand its own systems—its strengths and weaknesses—if it intends to know its enemy (bad actors). Operational prudence is being proactive, situationally aware and predicting what comes next as opposed to giving in to reactive firefighting on the plant floor.
The parallel here to the current state of cybersecurity is striking. Facilities need more visibility, more awareness and more control over their OT cyber risk.
Investing in cyber risk management is the crucial move organizations can make in 2026 to stave off costly downtime from a ransomware attack or, worse, a spoofing or jamming event that not only derails the mission but also could lead to major economic and environmental consequences.
Close the Loop with End-to-End Resilience
True resilience can only be achieved when it is built end-to-end. For cybersecurity, it begins at the field sensors, extending through operational technology (OT) networks and vessel/platform control systems and reaching all the way into edge, cloud and enterprise environments.
With stakes this high, an integrated, defense-in-depth cybersecurity strategy is no longer optional; it is mission-critical.
Energy and chemical companies working to strengthen cyber resilience across their complex, interconnected assets are signing on to a journey, not an easy fix. They will often require a 3- to 5-year roadmap to get there, with tailored advisory, assessment and verification services that span the full energy value chain and meet specific criteria for their industrial operations and infrastructure.
Take the Next Step with an Objective Assessment
Regardless of your current cyber posture or maturity level, every organization stands to benefit from additional training and collaboration across the private and public sectors as we collectively reduce cyber risk in the nation’s most critical assets and infrastructure.
Managing cyber risk is critical to securing infrastructure and industrial operations in 2026 and beyond. The petrochemical industry must prioritize proactive risk management, cross-sector collaboration and integrated cyber resilience to protect the industrial process facilities that power modern life.
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