Some locations in Petro-Canada are cash-only due to a “cybersecurity incident” at parent company Suncor

Numerous gas stations in Petro-Canada are only able to process cash transactions as parent company Suncor this weekend resolves what it calls a “cybersecurity incident.”

On Sunday, Suncor said it was working with outside experts to investigate and resolve the issue.

“At this time, we are not aware of any evidence that customer, supplier or employee data has been compromised or misused as a result of this situation,” Suncor said on Sunday. “As we work to resolve the incident, some customer and supplier transactions may be impacted.”

One such impact appears to be at stations in Petro-Canada, where various locations around the country are unable to process various electronic payments. The company’s loyalty program, Petro-Points, is also offline.

“Petro-Canada is a Suncor company and together we are responding to a cybersecurity incident. While our sites are open, you may experience interruptions to some services,” the company said on Twitter. “Some of our sites only accept cash and our app and Petro-Points login are not available. Car washes may also not be available in some locations.”

CBC News has independently verified that credit payment systems are down at numerous Petro-Canada locations across Canada, but it’s not known exactly how widespread the problem is or when it started. Suncor did not respond to multiple requests for comment Monday.

The incident comes just days after the Canadian Center for Cyber ​​Security warned that ransomware attacks — in which hackers gain access to a company’s internal system and demand payment in exchange for returning it — were the number 1 cyberthreat for the Canadian oil and gas industry. sector.

Ransomware is almost certainly the number one cyberthreat to the reliable supply of oil and gas to Canadians.

Canadian retailer Indigo was hit by a ransomware attack in March that made it impossible for several days in March to process sales made with anything other than cash, causing the company’s e-commerce platform to go offline even longer.