Shipping giant Maersk confirms data breach as hackers demand $5 million ransom

Maersk, the multinational shipping and logistics corporation, has announced a cyberattack on a legacy system from its acquired logistics company, LF Logistics. The attackers, who identify themselves as WhiteArmor, are demanding a $5 million ransom and threatening to release the stolen data on the dark web. Despite the company's claim that core operations remain unaffected, the stolen information includes sensitive data such as driver records, passwords in plaintext, SUPER_ADMIN accounts, signed delivery receipts, and inventory rows with purchase orders and Advance Shipping Notices.

The breach involves 100GB of data from the Hong-Kong-based third-party logistics company, which Maersk acquired in 2022 for $3.6 billion. The attackers' claims of stolen data include 27,842 mobile device logs containing phone numbers, email addresses, and IMEI numbers, which could pose a significant risk to Maersk and its employees.

As one of the world's largest container shipping companies, Maersk employs over 100,000 people and generates revenue of more than $50 billion, with a global network of more than 60 terminals and more than 500 warehousing facilities.