Breaking News: Eagers Automotive Suspends Stock Trading Post Cyberattack
Eagers Automotive, a leading car dealer in Australia and New Zealand, announced the suspension of trading on the stock exchange following a recent cyberattack. The company operates over 300 sales outlets of renowned brands including Toyota, BMW, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Ford, VW, and Honda, and owns numerous subsidiaries specializing in the sale of used cars.
With over 8,500 employees, Eagers Automotive reported revenues of 4.82 billion Australian dollars (approximately 3.25 billion US dollars) in the first half of 2023.
On December 28, the company announced the necessity to suspend all trading activities to prevent information leakage. In a subsequent statement, the company reported that several of its systems in both Australia and New Zealand were affected by a cyber incident.
Representatives of Eagers Automotive stated that disruptions in information systems were observed in some workplaces across Australia and New Zealand. “The full extent of the cyber incident has yet to be determined,” local media reports.
External experts have been engaged for a response, and an urgent investigation has been initiated. Eagers Automotive has notified the Australian Cyber Security Centre and the New Zealand National Cyber Security Centre of the incident.
The size of the company and the nature of its business raise concerns about a potential data breach affecting numerous customers and potentially exposing sensitive financial information. Despite expressing regret over the inconvenience caused to customers and emphasizing the importance of protecting the data of clients and employees, the company’s press statement did not address the issue of a possible data leak.
At the time of reporting, no major hacker groups have claimed responsibility for the attack on Eagers Automotive.
This breach follows a series of other cyberattacks on major Australian companies earlier this year, including DP World, Pizza Hut Australia, Dymocks Booksellers, the University of Sydney, HWL Ebsworth, Latitude Financial, Fire Rescue Victoria, and the Queensland University of Technology.
Via: Reuters
