Thought Leadership
The Austrian site of Swiss exhibition stand construction specialist Syma is battling a cyber extortion attack. A hacker group has already claimed responsibility for the attack.
International exhibition stand construction specialist Syma is having to deal with the consequences of a cyberattack following a ransomware attack, as reported by Inside IT. Criminals compromised the IT systems of the Swiss group’s Austrian site at the beginning of March. According to current information, the incident is limited to the branch in Austria, while other locations are not believed to have been affected.
Kirchberg-based Syma-Holding, which is known as a system provider for exhibition stand construction and temporary structures, says it has now been able to largely normalize operations. “Thanks to the rapid intervention of a team of specialists and comprehensive emergency measures, the operational capacity to act has been restored,” says the company.
Data theft and blackmail
The notorious ransomware group “Play” has claimed responsibility for the attack on the darknet. The cyber criminals are threatening to publish stolen data. Whether and which data was actually stolen is currently the subject of ongoing investigations. As a precautionary measure, the Syma Group has informed customers and notified the relevant data protection authorities in accordance with GDPR requirements.
Authorities involved
The company, which employs around 600 people worldwide and is also represented in Asia in addition to its European locations, says it is cooperating closely with the investigating authorities in Switzerland and Austria.
When asked by Inside IT, the company management was reluctant to provide further details: “We are in the middle of the forensic investigation and cannot disclose any more detailed information at this time.” Whether ransom demands have been made and how high they are remains unclear for the time being.
