Oceanscan Navigates Ransomware Event with iland Secure Cloud
Client Profile-
Oceanscan is a leading international equipment company providing the latest and most
advanced technology to the oil and gas, defence, petrochemical, renewables, and nuclear
industries. With over 1,000 global customers, the company’s services range from the
rental of testing, calibration, and survey equipment to providing essential personnel to
the offshore oil and gas markets. Headquartered in Aberdeen, Scotland, and supported
by a worldwide network of partner companies, Oceanscan is committed to around-theclock support of its customers.
Ransomware Realisation: ‘We Are Doomed’-
Sukumar Panchanathan, group IT manager at Oceanscan, got the news on the penultimate
day of Sept. 2021. “We’ve been attacked.” It’s a moment IT professionals hope never
arrives. But it had: A sophisticated strain of ransomware had crawled through the
company’s entire network, encrypting multiple file layers and making recovery nearly
impossible.
With a mountain of pressure now on his shoulders, Panchanathan sprung to action. He
knew what it could mean, both for the company and himself — the devastating potential
for downtime and lost revenue, not to mention the questions that would be asked of him.
How did this happen? Were they prepared?
“Everyone’s initial thought is, ‘We are doomed.’ If attackers can infect organisations like
the Pentagon and the CIA, then what is Oceanscan? Nothing,” Panchanathan said. “When
disasters like this happen, it’s the responsibility of the head of IT — my responsibility —
to steer us out of it. That’s what I get paid to do. It’s a lot of pressure, a lot to take on.”
As the frequency, sophistication, and impact of cyberattacks continue to skyrocket, there
is unfortunately no way to guarantee complete immunity to potential data breaches.
However, by planning, implementing, and testing an in-depth security strategy that is
multi-layered, integrated, and ready, organisations can drastically limit the damage done
by internal and external cyber threats. Luckily, Panchanathan came prepared with iland on
his side.