Who we serve · Oil & Gas
Cybersecurity & Managed IT Services for Oil & Gas in Texas
The Texas oil and gas industry operates some of the most critical infrastructure in the nation. From drilling operations in the Permian Basin to refining complexes along the Gulf Coast and pipeline networks spanning thousands of miles, energy companies depend on interconnected IT and operational technology (OT) systems that are increasingly targeted by sophisticated cyber adversaries.
- 24/7 Texas SOC
- Veteran-owned SDVOSB
- No ticket queue
- Texas & nationwide coverage
At CoreRecon, we provide managed cybersecurity and IT services specifically designed for the oil and gas sector. We understand the operational realities of energy production — where cybersecurity failures can lead not only to data breaches but to physical safety incidents, environmental damage, and regulatory action.
Why attackers target oil and gas
The 2021 ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline, which shut down the largest fuel pipeline on the East Coast for several days and led to fuel shortages, showed how one compromised password can disrupt energy supply for millions of people. Texas companies have been hit directly as well: Houston-based Halliburton disclosed that an August 2024 ransomware attack cost it about $35 million. Attackers target energy companies because downtime is expensive, operations depend on SCADA, DCS and other industrial control systems that are hard to patch, and remote field sites rely on VPNs, cellular modems and vendor remote access.
Texas: the center of U.S. energy production
Texas produces roughly 40 percent of all U.S. crude oil, most of it from the Permian Basin, along with a large share of the nation’s natural gas. The state’s energy value chain runs from wellsites in the Permian and Eagle Ford to midstream pipelines and compressor stations, Gulf Coast refineries and petrochemical plants, and LNG and crude export terminals at the Ports of Corpus Christi and Houston. Every link, including the oilfield service companies and contractors that connect to it, is part of the attack surface.
Requirements oil and gas companies face
- TSA pipeline security directives: since Colonial Pipeline, TSA has required designated pipeline owners and operators to report cyber incidents to CISA, appoint a cybersecurity coordinator, segment IT from OT, control access and test incident response and recovery plans, and it has renewed these directives each year.
- API Standard 1164 and IEC 62443: the pipeline SCADA security standard and the industrial control system security series that operators, customers and insurers use to judge OT security programs.
- NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0: the common baseline for corporate IT security programs across the energy sector.
- Texas breach notification: affected individuals must be notified within 60 days, and the Texas Attorney General within 30 days when 250 or more Texans are affected, including employees and royalty owners.
- Texas SB 2610 safe harbor: since September 1, 2025, Texas businesses with fewer than 250 employees, including many oilfield service companies, that maintain a cybersecurity program aligned with a recognized framework can be shielded from exemplary (punitive) damages in data-breach lawsuits.
CoreRecon segments field and plant control systems from business IT, secures remote access for operators and vendors, monitors IT and OT networks 24/7, tests your defenses with penetration testing, and builds backup and recovery plans that keep production and deliveries moving.
Key Takeaways
- Oil and gas companies face escalating cyberattacks targeting operational technology (OT), SCADA systems, and pipeline control networks — threats that can cause physical damage and environmental disasters.
- CoreRecon provides managed cybersecurity and IT services designed for the unique IT/OT convergence challenges in Texas energy operations.
- Our services align with NIST Cybersecurity Framework, TSA Pipeline Security Directives, NERC CIP, and API cybersecurity standards.
- Veteran-owned SDVOSB with 30+ years of experience protecting critical infrastructure across Texas.
Compliance we help oil and gas companies meet
- NIST CSF
- TSA Pipeline Security Directives
- API 1164
- IEC 62443
- Cyber-insurance requirements
Oil & Gas
Why Oil and Gas Companies Face Unique Cyber Threats
The energy sector has experienced a dramatic escalation in cyberattacks. Nation-state actors and criminal organizations target oil and gas companies for espionage, financial gain, and geopolitical disruption. The convergence of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) creates attack paths that can move from corporate email systems to industrial control systems that manage drilling, refining, and pipeline operations.
SCADA systems, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), distributed control systems (DCS), and remote terminal units (RTUs) were designed for reliability and safety — not cybersecurity. Many legacy OT systems cannot be patched, lack authentication, and communicate over unencrypted protocols. As these systems connect to corporate networks and cloud platforms for monitoring and analytics, they become vulnerable to attacks that were once impossible.
Oil & Gas
Energy Operations We Serve
CoreRecon serves oil and gas companies across the Texas energy value chain, including exploration and production (E&P) companies, midstream pipeline and gathering operations, refineries and petrochemical plants, oilfield services companies, energy trading and marketing firms, renewable energy operations, including wind and solar, and natural gas processing and distribution companies.
Oil & Gas
CoreRecon’s Cybersecurity Services for Energy
24/7 SOC Monitoring for IT and OT Networks
Our 24/7 Security Operations Center monitors both IT and OT network segments for threats. We deploy monitoring solutions that understand industrial protocols and can detect anomalous SCADA commands, unauthorized access to control systems, and lateral movement between IT and OT environments — all without disrupting critical operations.
Network Architecture for IT/OT Segmentation
CoreRecon’s network architecture team designs and implements segmented network environments that properly isolate OT systems from corporate IT networks. We follow the Purdue Enterprise Reference Architecture (PERA) model and IEC 62443 standards to create defense-in-depth architectures appropriate for energy operations.
Penetration Testing
Our penetration testing services evaluate your external and internal attack surfaces with methodologies designed for energy environments. We identify vulnerabilities in remote access systems, VPN configurations, vendor connections, and corporate-to-OT network pathways.
Security Assessments and Compliance
CoreRecon’s security assessment services evaluate your cybersecurity posture against NIST CSF, TSA Pipeline Security Directives, NERC CIP requirements, and API cybersecurity standards. We provide prioritized remediation roadmaps that address your highest risks first.
Incident Response for Energy Operations
Our incident response team is trained to handle security incidents in energy environments where containment must balance cybersecurity objectives with operational safety and environmental protection. We coordinate response activities that stop attacks without creating unsafe conditions in industrial processes.
Oil & Gas
Regulatory Compliance for Texas Energy Companies
Oil and gas companies face a growing web of cybersecurity regulations. The TSA Pipeline Security Directives, issued after major pipeline incidents, impose specific cybersecurity requirements on pipeline operators, including network segmentation, access controls, monitoring, and incident response. NERC CIP standards apply to energy companies connected to the bulk electric system. The NIST Cybersecurity Framework serves as the foundational standard referenced by most energy regulators. Texas SB 2610 creates additional cybersecurity obligations for organizations operating critical infrastructure in the state.
CoreRecon helps energy companies navigate all of these requirements with unified compliance programs that reduce duplication and administrative burden.
Oil & Gas
Managed IT Services for Energy Companies
CoreRecon provides managed IT services designed for the distributed, field-heavy operations typical of oil and gas companies. Our services include network management across corporate offices, field locations, and remote sites with reliable connectivity over satellite and cellular links where wireline is unavailable, secure remote access for field engineers and operations staff, cloud services with appropriate security controls for energy data, endpoint management across rugged field devices and office workstations, backup and disaster recovery solutions designed for operational continuity, and help desk support that understands energy operations workflows.
Oil & Gas
Why Texas Energy Companies Choose CoreRecon
CoreRecon understands energy. As a veteran-owned cybersecurity firm headquartered in Corpus Christi — at the heart of the Texas energy corridor — we have firsthand experience with the operational, regulatory, and geographic challenges facing energy companies. With 30+ years of cybersecurity experience and the mission-focused discipline of a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, we provide the trusted partnership that energy companies need. We serve energy operations across Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, the Permian Basin, the Eagle Ford Shale, and the entire Texas Gulf Coast.
Texas coverage
Cybersecurity for Oil & Gas Across Texas
Texas energy runs from Permian Basin operators supported out of Midland–Odessa and Eagle Ford Shale producers south of San Antonio to Houston Energy Corridor headquarters, Gulf Coast refineries and Port of Corpus Christi export terminals. Each mixes corporate IT with SCADA and industrial control systems that attackers target. CoreRecon secures both sides, IT and OT, for Texas energy companies with 24/7 monitoring and engineers who understand field operations.
Texas metro areas
Oil & Gas Cybersecurity in Texas Metro Areas
CoreRecon protects oil and gas companies in every major Texas market, with engineers who can be on site when you need them and a 24/7 SOC monitoring your systems around the clock.
Houston
The Energy Capital of the World, with Energy Corridor headquarters, oilfield-service companies and the refineries and petrochemical plants along the Houston Ship Channel.
Midland–Odessa & the Permian Basin
The most productive oil field in the United States, where operators, midstream companies and service contractors depend on remote wellsites, SCADA and field connectivity.
Dallas–Fort Worth
Headquarters of exploration, midstream and pipeline companies and Barnett Shale operators across Dallas, Fort Worth and Arlington.
San Antonio & the Eagle Ford
The business center for Eagle Ford Shale producers, pipeline operators and oilfield-service companies across South Texas.
Corpus Christi & the Coastal Bend
CoreRecon’s home base and one of the nation’s largest crude-oil export ports, with refineries, LNG export facilities, terminals and pipelines.
Austin
Home of the Railroad Commission of Texas, which regulates the state’s oil and gas industry, along with energy-technology and renewable-energy companies.
El Paso & Far West Texas
Refining, pipeline and fuel-distribution operations serving West Texas, New Mexico and cross-border energy trade.
Plano, McKinney & North Texas
Corporate offices of energy, engineering and equipment companies and the suppliers that support operations across the state. See also McKinney.
Beyond Texas
Oil & Gas Cybersecurity Across the United States
CoreRecon’s security program for oil and gas companies works wherever your offices, sites and customers are. We protect energy companies nationwide through our 24/7 Security Operations Center, remote managed IT and on-site engagements, and we currently serve clients in states including North Carolina, Colorado, Florida and California, as well as Guam.
For multi-state organizations, we align your program with NIST CSF 2.0, TSA pipeline security directives, API 1164 and IEC 62443, plus the breach-notification laws of each state where you operate, so one security program covers every location. Wherever you are, you call and an engineer helps you right away.
Recommended for oil and gas companies
Related Services for Oil & Gas
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the TSA Pipeline Security Directives?
Issued by the Transportation Security Administration, these directives require pipeline operators to implement specific cybersecurity measures, including network segmentation, access controls, continuous monitoring, and incident response capabilities. Non-compliance can result in enforcement actions and operational restrictions.
How does CoreRecon protect SCADA and OT systems?
We implement network segmentation to isolate OT from IT, deploy OT-aware monitoring solutions, configure industrial firewalls and data diodes, and establish change management controls for industrial control systems — all without disrupting operational processes.
Does CoreRecon have experience with energy industry cybersecurity?
Yes. CoreRecon is headquartered in Corpus Christi, one of the largest energy hubs in Texas, and has extensive experience securing IT and OT environments for energy operations across the state.
What frameworks should oil and gas companies use for cybersecurity?
Most energy companies should align with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework as their primary framework, supplemented by IEC 62443 for industrial control systems, TSA directives for pipeline operations, and NERC CIP for entities connected to the electric grid.
How can energy companies protect remote field locations?
CoreRecon secures remote sites through encrypted communications, hardware VPN appliances, zero-trust network access, automated patching for remote systems, and centralized monitoring from our 24/7 SOC.
Which Texas cities does CoreRecon serve for oil and gas cybersecurity?
CoreRecon serves oil and gas companies across Texas, including Houston, Midland–Odessa & the Permian Basin, Dallas–Fort Worth, San Antonio & the Eagle Ford, Corpus Christi & the Coastal Bend, Austin, El Paso & Far West Texas, Plano and McKinney & North Texas. Our engineers provide on-site support where needed, and our 24/7 SOC monitors every client remotely.
Does CoreRecon work with oil and gas companies outside of Texas?
Yes. CoreRecon protects oil and gas companies nationwide through 24/7 SOC monitoring, remote managed IT and on-site engagements, and serves clients in states including North Carolina, Colorado, Florida and California, as well as Guam. We align your program with NIST CSF 2.0, TSA pipeline security directives, API 1164 and IEC 62443.
Who we serve
Other Industries We Protect in Texas
Protect Your Energy Operations Today
The stakes in energy cybersecurity are among the highest in any industry. CoreRecon delivers the specialized security expertise your operations demand. Contact us at (800) 955-2596 or request a free consultation.