These benefits have been driving the increased adoption of digitalization in Oil and Gas Asset Integrity Management (AIM).

The new benefits of digitalization also come with new challenges. In the case of operational AI, that challenge is the security of inspection data. In order to protect the integrity of asset and inspection data, it is imperative that Oil and Gas operators take into consideration the potential vulnerabilities and weaknesses inherent within their AIM software and processes – and utilize the right tools to ensure that necessary countermeasures and safeguards are in place.

The Challenge

There are two facets to security in this industry: operational technology (OT), which refers to software (or hardware) that directly monitors and controls physical assets in the enterprise, and informational technology (IT) which deals more with overall information processing. For the purposes of this article we will focus on the OT aspect of Oil and Gas operations.

In the old technological climate, owner-operators would manually manage operational maintenance and equipment integrity using paper-based processes, Excel spreadsheets or monthly reporting cycles. In today’s era of digitalization, operators can deploy AIM software platforms that aggregate, centralize, store and analyze all data from disparate sources into one database. They can utilize intelligent data analytics such as Risk Based Inspection (RBI) and Integrity Operating Windows (IOW) to garner actionable intelligence from their data in real time, making it possible to stay on top of asset performance and adopt predictive maintenance before costly loss of containment or unplanned shutdowns occur.

The data from this software is stored digitally either in the cloud or in an on-premise database using the company’s own servers. Thus, the challenge becomes protecting the security and integrity of the data where it’s stored – ensuring no third parties can access or manipulate the information and protecting it from attack.

For Oil and Gas owner-operators, that risk can manifest in a multitude of ways. Incorrect data entry, access to and manipulation of data by an unauthorized user, storage of data on unprotected servers or databases or weak security processes that create vulnerabilities for the data to be altered or exposed to threat. Any of these can compromise the efficacy of the AIM program. The key to achieving the benefits of IIoT – optimized inspection scheduling, prolonged equipment life and fewer shutdowns – relies on the protection and security of the AIM data.

The Solution

The best way to leverage technology is to seek out an AIM software that utilizes secure encryption, robust databases, and the option to host data either on-premises or in the cloud. While security experts had concerns about cloud hosting when the technology was in its infancy, these days it has become exponentially more secure – arguably even more so than on-premise servers. With automatic security controls in place, companies don’t have to invest the time and effort in protecting their on-premise data. There are fewer vulnerabilities to third-party access, no risks of physical access and better overall resiliency to threats such as natural disasters or fire. Additionally, the technology behind the cloud is always current and evolving automatically – unlike the manual process of updating and maintaining an array of physical hardware.

Advancements in AIM technology for Oil and Gas operations have led to the availability of software that offers securely encrypted cloud-based hosting. In fact, there are now field-based software tools that make it possible to conduct and manage asset inspections directly from the field via mobile tablet.

To ensure that your asset data is protected, seek out a software that provides: