In response to a recent cyberattack, energy giant Halliburton has taken the precautionary measure of shutting down some of its internal systems, according to a statement filed with government regulators. The company became aware of unauthorized access to its systems on Wednesday and promptly responded by proactively taking certain systems offline.

With close to 48,000 employees across multiple countries, Halliburton is one of the world's largest energy companies. This incident comes as a reminder of the company's association with the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion in 2010, which resulted in a major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Halliburton eventually settled with the U.S. government for $1.1 billion regarding the incident.

The cyberattack on Halliburton was initially reported by Reuters, highlighting the growing threat of cyber intrusions across industries. However, the U.S. Department of Energy spokesperson, Jeremy Ortiz, stated that energy services are not currently impacted and that they are coordinating with interagency partners to address the situation.

It is common for companies to temporarily shut down their systems following a cyberattack to prevent further unauthorized access. This approach aims to limit the intruders' ability to maintain control over breached systems or to gain access to additional ones. Other companies, such as healthcare provider Change Healthcare and automotive software maker CDK, have implemented similar measures in response to ransomware attacks earlier this year.

Halliburton spokesperson Victoria Ingalls declined to disclose further details about the security incident beyond the initial filing. When asked about the nature of the breach and any communication with the intruders, no additional information was provided. Any further updates from Halliburton will likely be communicated through public filings.

TechCrunch recently discovered a potential security flaw that allows unauthorized access to internal Halliburton systems through its single-sign-on provider. However, when questioned about this issue and Halliburton's policy regarding reporting security flaws, Ingalls declined to comment, reiterating the company's standard statement. Furthermore, there was no information provided regarding the executive responsible for cybersecurity at Halliburton.

According to Halliburton's latest full-year earnings release, the company generated $23 billion in revenue in 2023, marking a 13% increase compared to the previous year. The company's chief executive, Jeff Miller, received $19 million in total executive compensation during the same period.

As the investigation into the cyberattack continues, Halliburton remains focused on resolving the incident and implementing necessary measures to safeguard its systems from future vulnerabilities.

UPDATE: The U.S. Department of Energy spokesperson confirmed that there are no immediate implications for energy services and reiterated their commitment to working with relevant agencies to address the situation.