Maersk now accepting bookings after cyber attack

0
670
Photo from www.maersk.com
Maersk said all its vessels “continue to be under control” after the cyber attack. Photo from www.maersk.com.

Danish shipping and transport company Maersk said it is now able to accept bookings via INTTRA, the world’s largest booking platform, following a global cyber attack on June 27 that downed IT systems across multiple sites and select business units.

A ransomware attack known as “Petya” has spread through many large firms in Europe and the US, including advertising company WPP, food company Mondelez, US pharmaceutical giant Merck, and Russian state oil giant Rosneft, leading to PCs and data being locked up and held for ransom.

On its website, Maersk said the cyber hacking “remains contained” and efforts towards technical recovery continue.

A number of IT systems though, “have been deliberately shut down across multiple sites and select business units, also impacting email systems. Business continuity plans are being implemented and prioritized,” it explained.

The situation is also still being assessed, Maersk said. “Until this analysis is complete, we cannot be specific about how many sites and locations are affected or when normal business operations are restored. The aggregate impact on our business is being assessed.”

The company noted, “All Maersk Line vessels continue to be under control, employees are safe and communication to crew and management onboard is functioning.”

Most of its terminals are also now operational. Some are “operating slower than usual or with limited functionality. APM Terminals continue to work towards full restoration of its IT systems.”

Maersk Group’s freight forwarding and supply chain management solutions unit Damco has “limited access to certain systems. A business continuity plan has been deployed with a key focus on protecting customers’ cargo flows.”

On its website, Damco said it understands the “critical role” container freight station operations have in the supply chains and is “working round-the-clock… to ensure that we continue to support all of our customers. We have therefore prioritized finding a solution for customers’ CFS volumes to enable both receiving and dispatching.”

“While we are currently unable to access our usual MODS (Maersk Logistics Operations and Documentation System) systems, we can confirm that the data held within it is secured and unaffected. We have therefore created workarounds, together with a logging process to generate and retain necessary shipment data and information.”

Meanwhile, Maersk entities Maersk Oil, Maersk Drilling, Maersk Supply Services, Maersk Tankers, Maersk Training, Svitzer and Maersk Container Industry (MCI) remain operationally unaffected.

“Our focus is on ensuring the best business continuity possible for our customers and business partners. We are collaborating with IT experts including national cyber-crime agencies and IT industry leaders, to reinstate services safely and without further disruption,” the company said.