Westfälische Stahlgesellschaf, a steel company located in Plettenberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, experienced a cyberattack on June 9, 2024. The attack, identified as a ransomware incident, involved the encryption of key IT systems. The company discovered the breach on June 10, prompting an immediate shutdown of internet connections to secure its systems.
Despite the attack, the company’s production remained unaffected, and it met all delivery deadlines. Most of the encrypted data was restored from backups, with no significant loss reported. The compromised data mainly included business contact information of external partners, and no sensitive personal data was involved.
The attack was detected through the company’s incident response plan and routine cybersecurity training. The company acted quickly by isolating its IT systems and restoring data from clean backups, which helped contain the attack. While some data may have been downloaded by the attackers, the company has assured that it does not include sensitive information.
Ongoing measures are being implemented to further secure the company’s IT infrastructure and prevent future breaches. The company advises caution with any suspicious emails and recommends verifying their authenticity before taking any action. The incident underscores the importance of robust cybersecurity practices to mitigate such risks.
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