German Superyacht Maker Lürssen Was Just Hit by a Cyberattack

Source: Yahoo.com

First it was Ferrari, now it’s Lürssen: Another notable luxury brand has fallen victim to a cyberattack.

The German shipyard, known for building big and beautiful superyachts, was hit by ransomware over the Easter holiday period, as reported by Bloomberg. For the unversed, this type of malicious software (malware) prevents you from accessing files on a computer or network. Perpetrators may then threaten to publish sensitive information unless a ransom is paid.

As yacht owners and makers are notoriously secretive, the potential exposure of private data is particularly harrowing. In fact, the attack has brought large parts of Lürssen’s operations to a standstill, according to local news outlet Buten un Binnen. The yard sounds as if it took all the right measures, though.

“In coordination with internal and external experts, we immediately initiated all necessary protective measures and informed the responsible authorities,” company spokesman Oliver Grün told Bloomberg via text on Tuesday.

Although the Prancing Horse revealed client names, addresses, e-mail addresses, and phone numbers were exposed during the incident in mid-March, Lürssen did not disclose which specific data had been accessed during this recent attack. The yard did not immediately respond to Robb Report‘s request for comment.

Headquartered in Bremen, Lürssen has five yards throughout northern Germany and more than 2,800 employees. Founded by Friedrich Lürßen in 1875, the German outfit started off building racing rowboats for Bremen oarsmen. A few years later in 1886, Lürssen delivered the world’s first motorboat in partnership with engine manufacturer Daimler. By the early 1900s, the yard was churning out lightning-quick, diesel-powered speedboats. Fast forward to 1971, Lürssen unveiled the epic 233-foot Carinthia VI and set a path for larger vessels to follow.

Today, the shipyard is responsible for 13 out of the 25 largest superyachts in the world. It built the longest vessel on the water (593-foot Azzam) and the biggest yacht on the seas in terms of volume (512-foot Dilbar). Evidently, Lürssen’s size and status make it a juicy target for criminals. Police are now investigating the incident.