Aurubis

History

2023: Profit drop of 24% in quarter due to high energy prices

The papers of Europe's biggest copper producer Aurubis AG fell 5.3% in February 2023 after reporting a drop in quarterly profit of about 24% due to high energy prices amid the conflict in Ukraine and pressure on Russia.

2022: Cyberattacks and shutdowns of many IT systems

On October 28, 2022, the German metallurgical company Aurubis AG announced a hacker attack. In order to minimize possible risks and damage, many IT systems, including online services, had to be disabled.

It is said that production and environmental protection facilities at smelting sites operate normally. However, the arrival and consumption of products is carried out manually. Now Europe's largest copper producer is implementing transition solutions that will help support business operations with partners and customers. Customers can contact Aurubis representatives via phone lines. It is not yet clear when enterprise IT services will become available in full. The company emphasizes that the first priority is to ensure uninterrupted production and procurement of raw materials, as well as to maintain the supply of finished products.

Aurubis faced cyber attacks and shut down many IT systems

This was apparently part of a larger attack on the metals and mining industry. As a result, many systems on Aurubis sites had to be disconnected from the Internet as a preventive measure. The consequences of the attack are currently being assessed. In addition, Aurubis works closely with the investigating authorities, the company said in an official statement.

At the same time, representatives of the European Association of Metallurgical Business Eurometaux reported that they did not know anything about cyber attacks on other companies.

Industrials around the world are facing a growing threat of cyber attacks that could cause colossal damage. So, in 2019, the European aluminum manufacturer Norsk Hydro ASA was forced to manage its operations manually due to a ransomware attack. In 2017, a hacker attack on pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. turned into $1.3 billion in damage.^[1][2]

Notes