Maersk reports unauthorized access to IT system and data theft

Danish shipping company A.P. Moller-Maersk has confirmed a new cybersecurity incident in which hackers gained unauthorized access to one of its legacy IT systems and copied data. The incident involved a local information system inherited by the company following a previous acquisition. After discovering the intrusion, Maersk’s cybersecurity team launched an investigation and took steps to secure the affected infrastructure.

According to preliminary findings, the incident was confined to a single legacy system and did not affect the company’s core digital platforms. Maersk stated that there is currently no evidence of sensitive information being disclosed or of systems belonging to customers and partners connected through APIs and electronic data interchange (EDI) being compromised. Online booking and shipment management services continue to operate normally, and the company does not expect any disruption to customer operations.

Meanwhile, a hacker group calling itself WhiteArmor has claimed to have stolen approximately 100 GB of logistics data from a platform associated with LF Logistics, a Hong Kong-based logistics company acquired by Maersk in 2022 for $3.6 bln. According to reports, the attackers are demanding a ransom of $5 mln in bitcoin. However, these claims remain unverified, and Maersk has not officially established any connection between WhiteArmor’s statements and the incident under investigation.

The latest cyberattack has drawn attention to the major incident in 2017, when the NotPetya malware attack crippled a significant part of Maersk’s IT infrastructure. At that time, the attack disrupted container shipping, port terminal operations and logistics services across several countries. The company estimated financial losses from the incident at $250–300 mln, making it one of the costliest cyberattacks in the history of global shipping.

The new incident highlights the importance of cybersecurity for international maritime logistics, which increasingly relies on digital booking, documentation and cargo-tracking systems. Potential disruptions to these systems could affect shipments of grain, food products and other agricultural commodities, including containerized cargo. However, Maersk has not reported any cargo delays or disruptions to shipping routes resulting from the latest cyberattack.

Tags: Maersk