Managed IT for Calgary Energy & Oil and Gas Companies
From upstream producers to energy services firms, Calgary's energy sector faces IT demands most providers don't understand — operator vendor questionnaires, OT/IT segmentation, 24/7 field operations, and security requirements set by integrated majors. We built our service model around it.
Most IT providers treat energy companies like any other office
A generic MSP can manage your laptops and email. What they cannot do is help you pass the 40-page IT security questionnaire that an integrated major just sent because you're bidding a service contract. They don't understand that your field foreman's tablet connects to SCADA at the well site and that segment cannot touch corporate email. They don't know what Petrinex is, let alone how to ensure it runs reliably on month-end reporting days.
Calgary's energy sector runs on vendor relationships, and those relationships increasingly come with IT compliance requirements attached. Operators, pipeline companies, and royalty trusts have all raised the bar on what they expect from their service contractors' cybersecurity posture. If you can't document your controls, you lose the contract.
IT Works MSP is based in the Calgary region and has worked with energy services companies, engineering firms supporting upstream operations, and midstream contractors since our founding. We built our service delivery model around the requirements of this sector — not adapted a generic model to it.
Where energy companies run into IT problems
These are the issues we see most often when an energy services company brings us in to assess their environment.
Failing operator security questionnaires
Operators and pipeline companies require vendors to document MFA, encryption, vulnerability scanning, and incident response. Most small energy services companies have none of this documented — and lose contracts because of it.
OT and corporate IT on the same network
SCADA systems, PLCs, and field instrumentation sitting on the same flat network as corporate email and file shares. Operators increasingly require network segmentation documentation before awarding contracts.
Remote field office connectivity gaps
Field offices and well sites connected via LTE or satellite, with no VPN, no endpoint management, and no visibility into what's happening on those devices. One compromised field laptop can reach back into your corporate environment.
No IT support outside business hours
Energy operations run 24/7. Most MSPs don't. When your field supervisor can't access a critical system at 2 a.m. or your production reporting system fails on month-end, a business-hours helpdesk isn't useful.
Cyber insurance gaps and premium increases
Cyber insurance underwriters have tightened requirements for energy companies significantly. Companies without MFA, documented backups, and EDR in place are being declined or hit with large premium increases at renewal.
Staff turnover and access control gaps
Energy services companies experience significant staff turnover tied to commodity cycles. Without proper offboarding, former employees retain access to corporate systems, operator portals, and shared field accounts for months after departure.
What we deliver for Calgary energy companies
Six core capabilities specifically built for the operational reality of Calgary's energy sector.
Vendor security questionnaire support
We build the controls operators require — MFA, endpoint encryption, vulnerability scanning, incident response plans, security awareness training — and produce the documentation you need to complete operator questionnaires accurately. We can also review completed questionnaires before submission.
OT/IT network segmentation
We design and implement firewall rules and VLAN architecture that isolates your operational technology network from corporate IT systems. We coordinate with your OT vendor to ensure the segmentation doesn't disrupt SCADA polling or field instrumentation while satisfying operator and insurer requirements.
Energy software support
We support the software stack Calgary energy companies run on — Quorum, Enertia, Petrinex production reporting, AutoCAD, Bentley, and Microsoft 365. We manage updates, licensing, and integrations, and we prioritize support tickets that affect month-end regulatory reporting deadlines.
Remote field office & well site IT
We manage endpoints and connectivity at remote field locations, including sites running on LTE and satellite links. Every field device is enrolled in Microsoft Intune for remote management, encrypted, and connected via secure VPN. If a field laptop is lost or stolen, we can wipe it remotely within minutes.
MFA & identity security
We enforce multi-factor authentication across every system — Microsoft 365, operator portals, VPN, and internal applications. We implement conditional access policies that block sign-ins from unexpected locations and devices, and we maintain a complete audit log of all access events that satisfies operator security requirements.
24/7 helpdesk & incident response
Our helpdesk is staffed around the clock with a 15-minute SLA on critical issues. When a ransomware alert fires or a field system goes dark at 3 a.m., we respond. We maintain a documented incident response plan for every client and we have practiced the playbook — not just written it.
Security questionnaire from an operator? We can help.
Whether you're responding to a vendor onboarding questionnaire from a major producer or completing a pre-bid IT security assessment, we'll help you build the controls and documentation you need to pass. Don't lose a contract over an IT gap we can close in two weeks.
Talk to us about your questionnaireCalgary energy sector IT in practice
From failed questionnaire to approved vendor in 6 weeks
A Calgary energy services company specializing in well completions received a vendor security questionnaire from a major integrated producer as part of a contract renewal. They had no MFA, no endpoint encryption, no documented incident response plan, and no vulnerability scanning — and they answered honestly. The contract was put on hold pending remediation.
We completed a full IT assessment in week one and built a remediation roadmap. In weeks two through five we rolled out MFA across Microsoft 365 and all operator portals, deployed BitLocker encryption to all endpoints, implemented automated vulnerability scanning, and produced a documented incident response plan and security awareness training records. In week six the company resubmitted the questionnaire with complete documentation.
The contract was approved. The company went from failing the questionnaire to passing it in six weeks, without hiring an internal IT person or a Big Four consulting firm.
Common questions from Calgary energy companies
Can you help us pass operator vendor security questionnaires?+
Yes. Major Calgary operators — including pipeline companies, royalty trusts, and integrated producers — regularly send IT security questionnaires to their service vendors and contractors. These typically ask about MFA enforcement, endpoint encryption, vulnerability management, incident response plans, and security awareness training. We build and document the controls your company needs to answer these questionnaires accurately and pass them.
Do you support OT/IT network segmentation for energy companies?+
Yes. For energy companies with operational technology (SCADA, PLCs, field instrumentation), we design and implement network segmentation that keeps OT networks isolated from corporate IT systems. This reduces the risk of a cyberattack on your office environment spreading to operational systems. We work with your OT vendor to ensure the segmentation doesn't disrupt field operations while satisfying operator and insurance requirements.
Can you support staff at remote field offices and well sites?+
Yes. We support Calgary energy companies with staff at remote field offices, well sites, and camp environments. We deploy Microsoft 365 and endpoint management to any location, configure secure VPN access for field staff, and provide remote helpdesk support that works within satellite and LTE connectivity constraints.
What cybersecurity standards do you help energy companies meet?+
We help Calgary energy companies meet the cybersecurity requirements imposed by their operators and insurers, which commonly reference NIST CSF, ISO 27001, and CIS Controls. We also help companies complete cyber insurance applications by documenting the controls underwriters require, and we can assess environments against NERC CIP for companies directly involved in bulk electric system operations.
How quickly can you respond to an IT emergency?+
Our standard SLA for critical issues is a 15-minute response time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For energy companies, we understand that IT outages can have operational and safety implications. Our helpdesk is staffed around the clock and we prioritize issues that affect operational systems, field communications, or time-sensitive reporting to regulators and operators.
Do you understand the software tools used in the Calgary energy sector?+
Yes. We support the common software stack used by Calgary energy services and upstream companies, including Quorum, Enertia, Petrinex for production reporting, AutoCAD and Bentley for engineering, and Microsoft 365 for collaboration. We also support remote access configurations used to connect to operator portals and joint venture systems.
Ready to pass your next operator questionnaire?
Book a free IT assessment. We'll review your current environment against common operator security requirements and give you a clear remediation roadmap — no obligation, no sales pressure.
Book your free assessment