  Oil and gas fields are a critical part of our infrastructure, and vulnerable
to attack by powerful adversaries. In addition, these are often difficult work
environments, with constraints on space, clothing, and more. Yet there is
little research on the technology practices and constraints of workers in these
environments. We present what we believe is the first survey of oil- and
gas-field workers located around the world. We establish the presence and
status of a variety of computing devices and of the security practices that
govern their use. We also determine the working conditions (such as personal
protective equipment) under which these devices are used, which impacts usable
security aspects like feasible forms of authentication. We extend these basic
insights with additional information from a small number of in-depth
interviews. Our preliminary work suggests many directions for improving
security in this critical sector.
