Germany-based steel firm named ThyssenKrupp AG has made it official that the company’s database was hacked in February this year, leaking several trade secrets related to its future projects.
According to Reuters, ThyssenKrupp trade secrets were stolen from a steel production and manufacturing plant design division by cyber crooks. It is estimated that the data could be millions worth if vetted by professional hands.
ThyssenKrupp- a European Multinational Conglomerate corporation, is one of the world’s largest steel makers. As per few media reports the company was targeted by a hackers group from South East Asia early this year. The cyber team of the steel firm found the data leak in April this year and took necessary precautions to mitigate the risk.
The 174-year-old company claims that it took more than six months for the company to identify the attack, investigate it to the core and then cleanse the infected systems. It is after this action did the company plan to publicize the issue to the German populace through proper media resources. A criminal complaint was also launched with the police in State of North Rhine-Westphalia very recently.
Some trade analysts feel that the media publicity was necessary for a firm to claim cyber insurance and so Essen-based ThyssenKrupp decided to publicize this issue now.
As per the latest report, the servers operating in power plant and steel blast furnaces located in Ruhr Valley remained unaffected. Also, there were no breaches reported at Marine systems unit of the said steel company, which produces military submarines and warships for national security.
German magazine Wirtschaftswoche has revealed that the German steel maker’s sites in Europe, India, Argentina, and the US were hit by cyber attacks. The media resource also reported that the attack could have been masterminded by Russia, now termed as the biggest threat to Germany’s National Security.
