Study the Effectiveness of ISO 27001 to Mitigate the Cyber Security Threats in the Egyptian Downstream Oil and Gas Industry

Abstract

As Egyptian oil and gas downstream information technology has grown digitally over the past decade, security breaches against these digitally connected systems have also increased. These cyber security threats could have devastating effects on the operations and reputation of these companies. Preventing such cyberattacks is crucial. Especially, with the significance of the Egyptian oil and gas downstream sector to the local economy and the fact that many of these connected systems are sometimes managed remotely. This paper examines the value of the ISO 27001 standard in mitigating the effect of cyber threat and seeks to inspire decision-makers to the importance of the proactive measures to strengthen their organization’s cybersecurity posture and protect information critical assets. The study stresses the importance of improving the local educational system to bridge the gap between supply and demand for cybersecurity specialists by implementing a structured approach that emphasizes behavior modification to get a high return on investment in cybersecurity awareness.