Cyberattacks snarl TNT Express inter-continental services

The multiple waves of cyberattacks that infected corporate and governmental servers across the globe in the last couple of days have reached the freight logistics industry. Earlier today, FedEx reported that worldwide operations for its subsidiary, TNT Express, have been “significantly affected due to the infiltration of an information system virus.”

FedEx has not yet released the details of the attack other than admitting that its impact could be “material,” however it appears to be part of a larger, ongoing global “ransomware” attack.

TNT Express said that its operations and communications systems have been disrupted, but that “no data breach is known to have occurred.” All other FedEx companies said they are unaffected and services are operating normally.

Hardest hit were TNT Express inter-continental services, where delays are reportedly widespread. TNT Express domestic country and regional network services are largely operational, but they are also experiencing delays, the company said.

Until the problem is resolved, TNT Express said it is offering FedEx Express services as alternatives. Customers seeking updated information should call TNT Express Customer Service or visit TNT Express’s website at tnt.com.

On the maritime side, seafreight giant Maersk was hit yesterday by a form of a ransomware virus, which encrypts and immobilizes all files within an infected server and demands payment in the form of bitcoin to have the encryptions removed.

The breach forced the maritime company to close its Los Angeles and New York City terminals. The company is now reporting that it has “contained the issue.” However, as of Wednesday afternoon Pacific Time, Maersk said it was still “working on resuming normal operations,” as shippers grew increasingly worried about disruptions to their supply chains.

Elsewhere, the cyberattack struck APM Terminals in Mumbai, threatening to disrupt operations at Jawaharlal Nehru Port. Malicious code from this latest ransomware attack snarled operations across global markets, ranging from transportation to finance to energy.

Over at cybersecurity firm Comae, founder Matt Suiche wrote that the virus, known as Petya, was a “wiper,” not ransomware. “We can see the current version of Petya clearly got rewritten to be a wiper and not an actual ransomware,” Suiche wrote.

While the virus appears to have targeted Ukraine – as many as 60 percent of the systems infected by the Petya ransomware were located within Ukraine –this latest attack raises the pressure on the freight and logistics industry to do more to protect its data.