Aurubis victim of a cyberattack

Europe’s biggest copper smelter, had been targeted as part of a wider cyberattack on the metals and mining industry which had forced it to shut down its IT systems and disconnect them from the internet.

Aurubis said it was able to largely maintain production even though it was forced to shut down numerous systems at its sites and disconnect them from the internet as a precaution.

The attack was apparently part of a larger attack on the metals and mining industry. The production and environmental protection facilities at the smelter sites are running, and incoming and outgoing goods are also being maintained manually.

Aurubis statement

The extent of the impact is being assessed, said Aurubis, adding that it was working with investigating authorities.

Earlier this year, a cyberattack on a satellite communications company knocked out remote control of thousands of wind turbines in central Europe.

And a German subsidiary of Russia’s Rosneft was in March the target of a cyberattack by what BSI called “hacktivists” at Anonymous Germany