DP World

History

2023:4 ports shut down due to cyber attack. 30 thousand containers hung

On November 10, 2023, DP World, the largest port operator, Australia was subjected to a powerful cyber attack that paralyzed the work of information infrastructure. It can take weeks to fully restore systems, which, according to experts, will provoke an increase in prices for a variety of goods in the country - from medicines to Christmas toys.

DP World operates 40% of Australia's container shipping through terminals in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Fremantle. It is reported that as a result of the hacker invasion, the arrival or shipment of more than 30 thousand containers was delayed. The company is in talks with rival operators to move cargo at ports to partially address the problem of stockpiling containers.

DP World was subjected to a powerful cyber attack

The causes of the incident as of November 13, 2023 are not reported. However, it is known that due to a cyber attack, DP World was forced to disconnect its IT systems from the Internet. According to some reports, the port operator was attacked by a ransomware gang, and the invasion was carried out through a vulnerability in Citrix NetScaler software. Cybersecurity experts are investigating the incident and restoring the IT infrastructure.

The ongoing investigation and network protection measures could lead to some temporary system outages. It is part of a comprehensive response plan that includes engaging with cybersecurity experts, actively examining the incident and notifying relevant authorities, DP World said in a statement.

Federal cybersecurity coordinator Air Marshal Darren Goldie said the government was dealing with "an incident of national importance affecting a number of seaport facilities." The top priority, he said, is to help DP World solve problems so the company can restore access to ports.^[1]

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