Hackers Access BW Group’s IT Systems. Countermeasures Undertaken

Hackers recently managed to gain access to computer systems of BW Group, the company confirmed to World Maritime News. 

As disclosed, the cyber attack occurred in July 2017.

“We had an unauthorized access some time back in July and actions have been taken to rectify the matter,” a spokesperson from BW Group said.

“Internal and external communications to customers and stakeholders were not impacted and it was business as usual with some inconveniences as we worked around planned system downtimes as our IT department, with the assistance of external consultants, reinforced our cybersecurity infrastructure,” the spokesperson explained.

The incident followed a large-scale cyber attack on Danish A.P. Moller-Maersk on June 27, which shut down IT systems across multiple sites and business units owned by the company. The attack has cost the company up to USD 300 million.

Julian Clark, Global Head of Shipping at Hill Dickinson, a commercial international law firm headquartered in Liverpool, UK, explained that “if a company as sophisticated as Maersk could be affected in such a dramatic way, requiring them to take two weeks to get all their systems back online, anyone and everyone is exposed.”

Mr. Clark also said in an interview with World Maritime News that although cost is an important factor for shipping companies, the time has come where there needs to be a significant investment in cybersecurity measures.

World Maritime News Staff