PDVSA Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. Company CyberSecurity Posture

pdvsa.com
ISOSOC2 Type 1SOC2 Type 2PCI DSSHIPAAGDPR

Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. is a Venezuelan state company, began operations on January 1st, 1976 and whose activities are the oil exploration, production, refining, marketing and transportation of Venezuelan oil as well as the orimulsion, chemical, petrochemical businesses and coal. We have the largest oil reserves in the world, reaching at the end of 2013, a total certified sum of 298,353 million barrels, which represent 20% of the world reserves of this resource. Also we manage 197.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in proven reserves, a figure that places us in eighth place worldwide. PDVSA carries out its crude processing operations through 14 refineries: six in Venezuela, and nine in the rest of the world. The national refining system is made up of 6 refineries that have a processing capacity of 1 million 303 MBD of which 52% is destined for the local market and 48% for export. The international refining system is made up of 9 refineries located in the Caribbean region, United States and Europe. Our subsidiaries and affiliates are located across the globe in Venezuela, Belgium, China, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. Headquartered in Caracas, Venezuela, with offices and operations throughout the country, we employ more than 140,000 workers worldwide.

PDVSA Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. A.I CyberSecurity Scoring

PPDVS

Company Details

Linkedin ID:

petroleosdevenezuela

Website:

https://www.pdvsa.com

Employees number:

25,708

Number of followers:

129,470

NAICS:

211

Industry Type:

Oil and Gas

Homepage:

pdvsa.com

IP Addresses:

Scan still pending

Company ID:

PDV_3245789

Scan Status:

In-progress

AI scorePPDVS Risk Score (AI oriented)

Between 700 and 749

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XXXX

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PDVSA Petróleos de Venezuela S.A.

Moderate
Current Score
725
Ba (Moderate)
01000
4 incidents
-28.0 avg impact

Incident timeline with MITRE ATT&CK tactics, techniques, and mitigations.

JANUARY 2026
724
DECEMBER 2025
742
Cyber Attack
15 Dec 2025 • Petróleos de Venezuela SA: Venezuelan Oil Industry Is Running on WhatsApp After Cyberattack
Cyberattack Paralyzes Venezuela’s Oil Giant PDVSA, Forcing Manual Operations

**Cyberattack Paralyzes Venezuela’s Oil Giant PDVSA, Forcing Manual Operations** A December 15 cyberattack on Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, *Petróleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA)*, has crippled its digital infrastructure, forcing employees to rely on phone calls, handwritten reports, and personal messaging apps to maintain operations. The attack disrupted critical systems, including the *SCADA* platform used to manage refineries, pipelines, and compression plants as well as *SAP* software, which handles accounting, payments, and production data. With internal email and corporate portals offline, employees in key departments spanning Caracas, Barinas, Puerto La Cruz, and El Tigre have turned to *WhatsApp, Telegram, and Gmail* for communication. The outage has delayed payments to contractors and workers, while retirees report difficulties accessing pension deposits, with some required to submit personal data in person for manual processing. The attack’s origin remains unclear, with no group or nation including the U.S., which has imposed sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector claiming responsibility. The incident underscores the vulnerability of PDVSA’s aging technological infrastructure, weakened by years of underinvestment, corruption, and U.S. restrictions on system upgrades. As of late January, the company had yet to fully restore its digital operations.

723
critical -19
PET1768583981
Incident Details -
Type
Cyberattack
Impact
SCADA platform SAP software Internal email Corporate portals Operational Impact: Forced manual operations, delayed payments to contractors and workers, pension access issues
Response
Communication Strategy: Use of WhatsApp, Telegram, Gmail, phone calls, and handwritten reports
Data Breach
Personally Identifiable Information: Pension-related personal data (submitted in person for manual processing)
Lessons Learned
Vulnerability of aging technological infrastructure due to underinvestment, corruption, and U.S. sanctions restricting system upgrades
Investigation Status
['Ongoing (as of late January)']
Post Incident Analysis
Root Causes: Aging technological infrastructure, underinvestment, corruption, U.S. sanctions restricting system upgrades
References
Blog URL Source URL
DECEMBER 2025
760
Cyber Attack
14 Dec 2025 • Petroleos de Venezuela SA: Venezuela Says Oil Export System Down After Weekend Cyberattack
Cyberattack on PDVSA Disrupts Key Administrative Systems

**Cyberattack Disrupts Venezuela’s PDVSA, Delaying Oil Operations** Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, *Petróleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA)*, is grappling with a prolonged cyberattack that has crippled critical administrative systems since early Saturday. The breach targeted networks managing export and import data at the country’s primary crude terminal, *Jose*, leaving key operations offline as of Monday. According to internal sources, PDVSA instructed employees to shut down computers, disconnect external hardware, and disable WiFi and Starlink connections following the attack. Security at company facilities was also heightened. An internal memo warned staff against restarting devices without authorization, citing concerns over potential data compromise. In a statement, PDVSA described the incident as a “sabotage attempt” that it claimed to have neutralized, asserting that oil production remained unaffected. However, the outage has forced contingency measures, delaying scheduled loadings and disrupting operations. The attack occurs amid heightened geopolitical tensions. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has repeatedly accused the U.S. of orchestrating cyberattacks, including a prior hack allegedly originating from Macedonia that disrupted last year’s election results. The U.S. has denied direct involvement but has taken aggressive actions against Venezuela, including seizing a sanctioned oil tanker last week and authorizing covert CIA operations in October to counter drug trafficking and illegal migration. PDVSA’s vulnerability has been exacerbated by years of deferred maintenance and the loss of critical software licenses due to U.S. sanctions, which barred dealings with American tech providers. While the company has faced previous cyber incidents, this disruption is reportedly the most prolonged to date. The incident underscores the growing intersection of cyber threats and energy infrastructure, particularly in regions facing geopolitical and economic instability.

723
critical -37
PET1765893364
Incident Details -
Type
Cyberattack
Motivation
Sabotage/Disruption of operations
Impact
Data Compromised: Possibility of information compromise (not confirmed) Systems Affected: Administrative networks managing export and import data at Jose crude terminal Downtime: Ongoing as of 2025-01-06 Operational Impact: Delayed scheduled loadings, contingency measures, shutdown of computers and external connections
Response
Incident Response Plan Activated: Yes Containment Measures: Shutdown of computers, disconnection of external hardware, WiFi and Starlink cutoffs, reinforced security at facilities Recovery Measures: Ongoing restoration efforts Communication Strategy: Internal memo to staff, public statement describing the incident as a 'sabotage attempt'
Data Breach
Data Exfiltration: Not ruled out
Investigation Status
['Ongoing']
Stakeholder Advisories
Internal memo instructing personnel not to restart or use devices without guidance
Post Incident Analysis
Root Causes: Years of limited maintenance, loss of key software licenses due to US sanctions, outdated administrative networks
References
Blog URL Source URL
NOVEMBER 2025
759
OCTOBER 2025
759
SEPTEMBER 2025
759
AUGUST 2025
758
JULY 2025
758
JUNE 2025
757
MAY 2025
757
APRIL 2025
756
MARCH 2025
756
FEBRUARY 2025
755
JUNE 2019
772
Ransomware
16 Jun 2019 • PDVSA: Venezuela's PDVSA suffers cyberattack, tankers make u-turns amid tensions with US
Venezuela’s PDVSA Hit by Ransomware Attack Amid Escalating U.S. Tensions

**Venezuela’s PDVSA Hit by Ransomware Attack Amid Escalating U.S. Tensions** Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, PDVSA, suffered a ransomware attack last week, disrupting administrative systems and halting oil cargo deliveries, though production and refining operations remained unaffected. The company blamed the cyberattack on "foreign interests," specifically alleging U.S. involvement in coordination with domestic entities, accusing Washington of attempting to undermine Venezuela’s sovereign energy sector. The attack, which PDVSA claimed to have recovered from, forced workers to rely on manual record-keeping as systems remained offline. Multiple sources confirmed that administrative networks were still down days later, leading to the suspension of loading instructions for oil exports. At least four very large crude carriers (VLCCs) scheduled to load crude at Venezuelan ports reversed course, while a Benin-flagged tanker carrying 300,000 barrels of Russian naphtha for PDVSA also diverted to Europe without discharging its cargo. Despite the disruptions, some tankers including those chartered by Chevron under a U.S. sanctions exemption continued sailing to the U.S. Others departed in "dark mode," navigating with their tracking systems disabled. Venezuela’s oil exports averaged 952,000 barrels per day last month, according to shipping data, though the cyberattack and recent U.S. enforcement actions have added pressure. The incident follows the U.S. Coast Guard’s seizure of a VLCC carrying 1.85 million barrels of Venezuelan crude, the first such interception since sanctions were imposed in 2019. Tensions between Caracas and Washington have intensified, with Venezuela accusing the U.S. of seeking regime change to control its oil reserves. The U.S. State Department has not commented on the cyberattack allegations. PDVSA ordered employees to disconnect from corporate systems and restricted access for non-essential workers, while a shipper involved in Venezuelan oil deals confirmed that export operations remained suspended. The attack’s impact extended to Cuba, which relies on Venezuelan oil and is already facing severe power shortages.

681
critical -91
PET1768616322
Incident Details -
Type
Ransomware
Motivation
Undermine Venezuela’s sovereign energy sector, alleged regime change efforts
Impact
Systems Affected: Administrative systems, oil cargo delivery operations Operational Impact: Halted oil cargo deliveries, manual record-keeping required, suspension of loading instructions for oil exports
Response
Containment Measures: Employees ordered to disconnect from corporate systems, restricted access for non-essential workers Recovery Measures: Claimed to have recovered from the attack
References
Blog URL Source URL
DECEMBER 2002
772
Cyber Attack
01 Dec 2002 • Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA)
2002 Venezuela Port Facility SCADA Hack During General Strike

In December 2002, during a general strike in Venezuela, a port facility operated by **PDVSA** (Venezuela’s state-owned oil company) was targeted in a deliberate cyber attack. The attacker, likely an insider (possibly an employee involved in the strike), remotely accessed the **SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system** controlling the port’s operations. The attacker **erased all PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) programs**, crippling the facility’s ability to load oil tankers. The sabotage lasted **eight hours**, causing Venezuela’s national oil production to plummet from **3 million barrels per day (BPD) to just 300,000 BPD**—a **90% reduction**.The attack directly disrupted Venezuela’s oil-dependent economy, which relied heavily on exports. The temporary shutdown of the port facility contributed to broader economic instability during the strike, exacerbating fuel shortages and financial losses. While no physical damage or loss of life occurred, the **targeted disruption of critical infrastructure**—a key sector for the nation’s revenue—demonstrated the vulnerability of industrial control systems to cyber sabotage. The incident highlighted how cyber attacks on energy infrastructure could be weaponized for **political or economic coercion**, with cascading effects on national production and global oil markets.

764
critical -8
PET451092125
Incident Details -
Type
cyber-physical attack sabotage SCADA compromise
Attack Vector
insider threat (possible) remote access
Vulnerability Exploited
weak SCADA system security unauthorized remote access
Motivation
political (supporting the general strike) economic sabotage (disrupting oil production)
Impact
Data Compromised: PLC programs (erased) SCADA system Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) Downtime: 8 hours (tanker loading operations halted) port facility operations disrupted oil production dropped from 3M BPD to 300K BPD
Response
restoration of erased PLC programs resumed tanker loading after 8 hours
Data Breach
PLC programs (operational data) Sensitivity Of Data: high (critical infrastructure control systems) Data Exfiltration: no (data was erased, not stolen) PLC configuration files
Investigation Status
['historical (limited public details)']
Initial Access Broker
remote access to SCADA system PLC programs controlling tanker loading
Post Incident Analysis
inadequate SCADA security lack of access controls insider threat risk
References
Blog URL Source URL

Frequently Asked Questions

According to Rankiteo, the current A.I.-based Cyber Score for PDVSA Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. is 725, which corresponds to a Moderate rating.

According to Rankiteo, the A.I. Rankiteo Cyber Score for December 2025 was 760.

According to Rankiteo, the A.I. Rankiteo Cyber Score for November 2025 was 759.

According to Rankiteo, the A.I. Rankiteo Cyber Score for October 2025 was 759.

According to Rankiteo, the A.I. Rankiteo Cyber Score for September 2025 was 759.

According to Rankiteo, the A.I. Rankiteo Cyber Score for August 2025 was 758.

According to Rankiteo, the A.I. Rankiteo Cyber Score for July 2025 was 758.

According to Rankiteo, the A.I. Rankiteo Cyber Score for June 2025 was 757.

According to Rankiteo, the A.I. Rankiteo Cyber Score for May 2025 was 757.

According to Rankiteo, the A.I. Rankiteo Cyber Score for April 2025 was 756.

According to Rankiteo, the A.I. Rankiteo Cyber Score for March 2025 was 756.

According to Rankiteo, the A.I. Rankiteo Cyber Score for February 2025 was 755.

Over the past 12 months, the average per-incident point impact on PDVSA Petróleos de Venezuela S.A.’s A.I Rankiteo Cyber Score has been -28.0 points.

You can access PDVSA Petróleos de Venezuela S.A.’s cyber incident details on Rankiteo by visiting the following link: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/petroleosdevenezuela.

You can find the summary of the A.I Rankiteo Risk Scoring methodology on Rankiteo by visiting the following link: Rankiteo Algorithm.

You can view PDVSA Petróleos de Venezuela S.A.’s profile page on Rankiteo by visiting the following link: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/petroleosdevenezuela.

With scores of 18.5/20 from OpenAI ChatGPT, 20/20 from Mistral AI, and 17/20 from Claude AI, the A.I. Rankiteo Risk Scoring methodology is validated as a market leader.