Selman Cloud – Secure & ProprietaryCloud Infrastructure

1. Introduction

In modern wellsite geological services, data security, accessibility, and reliability are paramount. The Selman Cloud is a proprietary cloud infrastructure designed to securely store, process, and transmit sensitive geological data while maintaining full ownership, warehousing, and control capabilities. Unlike third-party “public” cloud providers, Selman Cloud operates on wholly owned servers across multiple physical locations, ensuring enhanced security, compliance, and operational independence.

This paper outlines the technical architecture, security measures, and operational advantages of Selman Cloud, covering key areas such as firewall protection, email security, and in-house server management.

Selman Cloud: Overview & Architecture

2.1 Fully Owned & Controlled Infrastructure

• Selman Cloud operates on dedicated, in-house servers, eliminating dependence on third-party “public” hosting providers.
• Servers are located within multiple secure, company-owned facilities, ensuring complete control over data sovereignty and access.
• Scalable architecture supports on-premises, remote, and hybrid cloud configurations.
• Multiple layers of redundancy encompass the data storage, time, hardware, processing availability, power, Internet connectivity, security, and physical location domains for maximal uptime and minimal data loss.
• We warehouse our employee-generated and automatically acquired work-product data since the inception of our company (over 40 years) in various digital libraries. In the rare case that data or work product is somehow lost, destroyed, or otherwise misplaced in your company’s geological library, we may be able to quickly and conveniently retrieve the data you need if we were the service company, even if the service was performed many years ago.
• Data sovereignty and confidentiality permeate our cloud infrastructure. With the revelations in recent decades of unfettered government access and intrusions into our personal and corporate data which is stored on “public” cloud service providers, we store customer data in a manner which prevents the US government from violating the fourth amendment of the Constitution without just cause.
• Providing an in-house cloud infrastructure, our company is also less susceptible to having our services “cancelled” by bad actors in governmental organizations who decide (for politically-motivated reasons) that the entire Oil and Gas industry should be shut down.

2.2 High-Performance Data Processing

• Optimized for geological and wellsite data storage, with high-speed retrieval and processing capabilities.
• Built-in redundancy and failover systems ensure 99.99% uptime and reliability.
• Support for large geosteering, mud logging, and geochemical datasets with real-time accessibility.

3. Security Framework

3.1 Firewalls & Network Security

Selman Cloud is secured by an enterprise-grade, multi-layered firewall system designed to prevent unauthorized access, cyber threats, and malicious attack vectors.

Key Features:

• Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) Protection.
• Deep packet inspection (DPI) to detect and block malicious traffic.
• Advanced Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) to mitigate zero-day threats.
• Advanced Intrusion Detection System (IDS) to detect and mitigate threats in progress.
• Network Operation Center (NOC) team monitors traffic to, from, and within our facilities 24 hours / day, 7 days / week, 365 days / year; they are always prepared to detect, respond to, and mitigate any attempted security threats or attacks.

• Geo-Restricted Access Controls block traffic from high risk regions to prevent unauthorized login attempts, e mail spoofing, and most phishing attempts.
• End-to-End Encryption using the latest TLS encryption and, in some cases, double encrypted data using one or more additional encryption technologies for inner packet data.

3.2 Email Security & Protection

Email remains a primary attack vector for cyber threats, including phishing, spoofing, and malware attacks. Selman Cloud integrates advanced email security measures to protect communications and sensitive geological data.

Email Security Features:

• AI-Based Spam & Phishing Detection uses behavior analysis to identify suspicious emails and attachments before they reach inboxes.
• Bi-directional use of Domain-Based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) and Sender Policy Framework (SPF) assertions prevent email spoofing and unauthorized use of Selman & Associates domains.
• Advanced Thread Protection (ATP) artificial intelligence and traditional email attachment scanning for viruses and zero-day exploits prevent malware from making it onto our users’ machines.
• Link rewrites protect our users from following malicious links contained within e-mails.
• External Sender Notifications notify our users that an e-mail may be spoofed or addressed by a sender that does not normally or frequently send email to them.

• Artificial Intelligence Intent Analysis and “Typosquatting” Protection attempts to discern whether the sender has malicious intent or whether the email is benign corporate correspondence. “Typosquatting” is the practice of malicious actors purchasing and holding domain names that are common misspellings of more popular domain names, then using those commonly misspelled or similar domain names for nefarious purposes. Our email firewall will block or quarantine those malicious types of messages.
• End-to-End Encryption for sensitive correspondence: All sensitive geological reports and client communications are encrypted in transit to prevent snooping and “man-in-the middle” attacks on all client communications and data.
• Zero-Trust Access Policies.
• Geo Blocking of IP addresses originating from countries outside the United States from which malicious e-mails frequently originate.

3.3 In-House Servers & Data Ownership

Unlike “public” cloud services where data resides on third-party infrastructure, Selman Cloud is built entirely on property owned by Selman & Associates.

Advantages of In-House Data Ownership:

• Absolute control over data security policies and compliance.
• No reliance on external cloud providers, eliminating risks associated with vendor lock in or policy changes.
• Physical security measures including access control and 24/7 surveillance.
• Custom-tailored performance optimizations for wellsite geological applications.

4. Operational Benefits of Selman Cloud

Please note the following comparisons which outline some of the important distinctions between the Selman Cloud and “public” third-party cloud service providers:

5. Conclusion

Selman Cloud offers unparalleled security, control, and performance by leveraging wholly owned servers, enterprise-grade firewalls, and advanced email security protocols. This proprietary infrastructure ensures reliable, secure, and high-speed access to geological data while eliminating reliance on external cloud providers.

By maintaining full ownership and implementing cutting-edge cybersecurity measures, Selman provides a highly secure and optimized cloud solution for wellsite geological services.