Operational Technology (Ot) Cybersecurity in the Canadian Oil and Gas Sector: a Decade of Convergence, Threats, and Resilience (2016-2026)

Keywords:
Operational Technology (OT) Cybersecurity, Critical Infrastructure Protection, Zero Trust Architecture, Cybersecurity Maturity Model, IT–OT Convergence

Abstract:
Over the past decade, the cybersecurity of Operational Technology (OT) systems within Canada's oil and gas sector has evolved significantly, driven by digitalization, IT–OT convergence, and the expansion of remote and cloudenabled operations. While these developments have improved efficiency and scalability, they have also expanded the attack surface and introduced systemic risk into critical infrastructure. This study analyses OT cybersecurity evolution from 2016 to 2026 using a structured literature review and comparative framework analysis. It contributes: (1) a comparative analytical framework for assessing OT cybersecurity maturity; (2) a sector-specific maturity model tailored to the Canadian energy context; and (3) an evaluation of regulatory misalignment between threat capability and governance capacity. Findings indicate a growing disparity between increasingly sophisticated threat actors and largely non-enforceable regulatory structures, resulting in uneven security postures. The study advocates a transition toward resilience-oriented architectures based on Zero Trust, segmentation, and continuous monitoring.

CITATION:

IEEE format

Copy to clipboard

D. Grce, M. Veinović, “Operational Technology (Ot) Cybersecurity in the Canadian Oil and Gas Sector: a Decade of Convergence, Threats, and Resilience (2016-2026),” in Sinteza 2026 - International Scientific Conference on Information Technology, Computer Science, and Data Science, Belgrade, Singidunum University, Serbia, 2026, pp. 340-347. doi:10.15308/Sinteza-2026-340-347

APA format

Copy to clipboard

Grce, D., Veinović, M. (2026). Operational Technology (Ot) Cybersecurity in the Canadian Oil and Gas Sector: a Decade of Convergence, Threats, and Resilience (2016-2026). Paper presented at Sinteza 2026 - International Scientific Conference on Information Technology, Computer Science, and Data Science. doi:10.15308/Sinteza-2026-340-347

BibTeX format
Download

RefWorks Tagged format
Download