German multinational Eberspächer Group has found that some of its factory workers were sent home on paid leave while it dealt with a ransomware attack.
The Eberspächer Group currently employs more than 10,000 people, has 80 production plants in 28 countries, and is primarily known for the manufacture of air conditioning, heating and exhaust systems, supplying almost all the top car brands.
Eberspächer Group has been the target of a coordinated cyber attack and our IT infrastructure has been affected
In order to protect our customers, employees and partners, we have immediately taken the necessary steps to counter the targeted attack. To protect our customers, employees and partners, we immediately took the necessary steps to counter the targeted attack
The attack, which was detected, has resulted in the shutdown of the company’s official website, email system, office network, customer portal and production systems.
Unable to coordinate production and manage customer orders, the company has instructed some factory employees to take paid leave and stay home.
Marie Wiström, CEO of Eberspächer’s Swedish subsidiary, told Swedish national TV broadcaster SVT: “We ask our employees to take paid leave and stay at home.” Marie Wiström told Swedish national TV broadcaster SVT.
Also, according to the German news site SR, employees in Germany and Romania have been ordered to stay home.
The details of the cyber-attack on the company’s systems were not mentioned, but according to German automotive news site Automobilwoche, a spokesman for the Stuttgart prosecutor’s office said the incident was being investigated as a case of “computer sabotage and attempted extortion.” He said it was being investigated as a case of “computer sabotage and attempted extortion.
The company announced on Twitter that the Easy Start web portal, which allows car owners to remotely start their Eberspächer heaters, has been restored.
Easy Start Web is now available again. We apologize for the inconvenience.
The Eberspächer Group incident is similar to what happened to ASCO, a supplier to aircraft manufacturers, where a similar ransomware attack in June 2019 crippled the factory and forced most of its employees to go home on paid leave.
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