Aebi Schmidt targeted by ransomware

Aebi Schmidt, the European manufacturing powerhouse is the latest to be hit by crippling ransomware. The company is based in Switzerland and is a leading manufacturer of heavy-duty vehicles for road cleaning and airport operations with a presence in the United States. Systems across the company’s international network went offline, with most of the damage being inflicted in the European region and a considerable amount in North America.

The exact nature of the ransomware is still unknown and the company refused to disclose details regarding the same. Furthermore, the attack is reported to have brought vital operations like manufacturing to a halt, in addition to affecting the company’s corporate email servers.  The Swiss-based corporation recently bolstered its global presence with acquisitions of M-B Companies, Meyer Products, and Swenson Products, all of whom are makers of snow removal and winter maintenance vehicles and equipment. This is a surefire indication that cybersecurity is as important for corporations as physical security, if not more. With the ongoing globalization and increasingly higher number of people becoming connected across the world, companies from every sector need to have comprehensive cybersecurity measures in place in order to ensure the protection of their assets as well as that of their clients.

Aebi Schmidt is not the only company to be targeted. Arizona Beverages, one of the largest beverage makers in the United States was hit by ransomware which caused it's systems to go offline for nearly a week. These incidents are all wake-up calls and the sooner everyone heeds them, the better.