A Review of Digital Oil Field Cybersecurity with a Perspective on Cyberphysical Attack Mitigation with the Integration of Physically Unclonable Functions

Abstract

Due to the proliferation of immersive adoption of automation systems and infrastructure in the operation, monitoring and optimizing oil production fields, ICT systems have become a significant tool in the realization of this paradigm shift. This sensing and automation systems bring about situational awareness of the field using technologies in the form of SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition), DCS (Distributed Control System) or WAMS (Wide Area Monitoring System) infrastructure. These technologies are closely integrated with vessels, equipment, wells and process variables. Due to the criticality of data for efficient operations, they are susceptible to cyber-attack for malicious reasons by intruders. Therefore, it is essential for these networks and data therein to be protected from cyber-attacks to ensure reliable and robust sensing, transmission and utilization of data in the oil production field. This paper discusses digitization of oil fields, cyber vulnerabilities, real cyber-attack events and mitigation strategies, cyber threats associated with digital oil fields. It also highlights and focuses on the System-on-Chip (SoC) strategies exemplifying the use of Physically Unclonable functions (PUF) in the generation of data provenance attributes to boost the cyber-physical security infrastructures in digital oil fields. A proposed framework for the deployment of PUFs to be integrated into digital systems infrastructure in the oil field is presented with benefits and limitations discussed.