The German shipbuilder Lürssen, which makes luxury superyachts and military vessels, has reportedly been targeted by a ransomware cyberattack.
The firm, which is based in Bremen, was attacked over the Easter holiday period, according to local news outlet Buten un Binnen. Police are investigating.
Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts the victim’s files, then threatens to publish personal or sensitive data unless a ransom is paid off.
Speaking to a Bloomberg reporter via text message, company spokesman Oliver Grün said on Tuesday (11 April 2023): “In coordination with internal and external experts, we immediately initiated all necessary protective measures and informed the responsible authorities.”
Buten un Binnen reports that the attack has brought large parts of Lürssen’s shipyard operations to a standstill. The Lürssen Group currently employs around 1,500 people at different sites.
Lürssen has built some of the world’s largest and most expensive superyachts, including 146-metre Opera, which recently made its maiden voyage in Portsmouth, and 156-metre Dilbar — regarded as the world’s largest superyacht by volume.
Dilbar has been linked to sanctioned Uzbek oligarch Alisher Usmanov. Dilbar‘s crew were dismissed after the imposing of western sanctions made the payment of wages difficult, according to reports in 2022.