Newpark Resources this week announced that access to certain information systems and business applications has been disrupted following a ransomware attack.

The incident was discovered on October 29 and a cybersecurity response plan was immediately activated, the Texas-based provider of drilling fluids systems and composite matting systems for the oilfield sector said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

“The incident has caused disruptions and limitation of access to certain of the company’s information systems and business applications supporting aspects of the company’s operations and corporate functions, including financial and operating reporting systems,” Newpark said.

According to the company, reverting to downtime procedures allowed it to continue manufacturing and field operations uninterrupted. 

“Based on the company’s current knowledge of the facts and circumstances related to this incident, the company believes that this incident is not reasonably likely to materially impact the company’s financial conditions or results of operations,” it said.

Newpark did not share details on how the attackers accessed its network, nor on which threat actor might be responsible for the incident. SecurityWeek has not seen any known ransomware groups claiming responsibility for the attack.

“Critical sectors like oil and gas are a top target for ransomware attacks looking to disrupt critical industries. With the Trump administration stating that it is going to increase the number of oil drilling sites across the US, it’s clear that the sector will be under an increasing threat,” Claroty general manager Andrew Lintell said in an emailed comment.

Lintell recommends that oil and gas operators maintain visibility over their cyber-physical systems (CPS) through real-time asset inventories that would allow them to identify vulnerabilities and secure drilling sites, refineries, and supply chains.

“Protection can be further enhanced through network segmentation which limits malware spreading in the event of a breach, protecting essential systems,” Lintell said.

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