Industrial construction company Basil Read announced it was targeted in a criminal ransomware attack five days ago and has brought in external forensic experts to investigate the breach.
The listed company made the announcement voluntarily five days after it occurred on December 15, with the company taking its systems offline as a precaution.
However, the company said its operations remain unaffected, other than some administrative functions.
Cybercriminals usually demand payment to unlock websites or systems or release data in these attacks.
Basil Read said in a statement it did not know if private or commercially sensitive data had been breached.
“The extent to which sensitive data has been compromised is yet to be determined as we are still in the process of investigating the incident.”
Private data from Standard Bank and Lightstone Properties’s Looksee platform showcasing 745,000 registered properties was compromised in November. Standard Bank has not disclosed whether this was a ransomware or criminal attack or an internal error.
SA firms, including financial services giant Old Mutual and several state-owned entities, have come under attack by cybercriminals in recent years, often with the goal of extorting money. State-owned ports operator Transnet declared force majeure in July after its container terminals at the Durban, Ngqura, Gqeberha and Cape Town harbours were disrupted by cyberattacks.
With Garth Theunissen
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