International electronics manufacturer Lacroix reportedly intercepted targeted cyberattacks at its operating bases in France (Beaupréau), Germany (Willich), and Tunisia (Zuriba).
The company said it had temporarily suspended several online systems while investigating the damage caused by the attack.
“Investigations are ongoing to fully stop the attack before restarting systems at these sites,” Lacroix said in a statement. “However, some local infrastructure is encrypted, and analysis is also being conducted to identify the exfiltrated data.”
Read more about similar attacks: Bitmarck shuts down operations after cybersecurity breach
Because these operations require a system restore using backups, they are expected to take several days, resulting in a week’s closure of the three sites.
“While it is still too early to know exactly when production will resume, Lacroix aims to resume on Monday, May 22nd,” the statement said.
In the meantime, the company said partial activity measures have been implemented and a management and reopening plan tailored to each site has been devised.
“Louis Pourdieu, General Manager of Electronics EMEA Activities, with the assistance of his team, is informing customers and suppliers of the conditions for the closure and reopening of these sites,” Lacroix added.
Affected sites represent a significant portion of the company, accounting for 19% of the group’s total turnover in 2022. However, due to a “convenient calendar” with just three days of production this week, Lacroix does not expect a significant impact on production. Forecast for the entire group in 2023.
CybSafe CEO Oz Arachet MBE stresses that the closure of three Lacroix factories is a stark reminder that cybersecurity must go beyond compliance and checkbox exercises.
“Ransomware, wiperware and all other types of malware can be prevented. It starts with basic cyber hygiene such as network segmentation, backups, regular patching and vulnerability assessment,” the executive explained. bottom.
“But organizations that want to stay ahead of criminals (and their competition) will drive proactive security behavior and treat it as a core value or a positive process. People want to be part of the solution. Give them the tools and training to enable them to act effectively.”
The attack on Lacroix comes six months after Norwegian software supplier DNV was hit by a ransomware attack that affected about 1,000 ships.
