Super-Yacht Specialist Lürssen in Dry Dock After Ransomware Attack

German shipbuilder Lürssen, known for making super yachts for the exorbitantly wealthy, experienced a ransomware attack over Easter weekend that has incapacitated operations.

With a high revenue — it has an expected annual revenue of nearly $2.2 billion this year — it's likely that the shipbuilding company has a running roster of exclusive clients, making it a quality candidate for threat actors. And while Lürssen makes luxury yachts, it also builds sea vessels for the German navy, making the current standstill in production and operations due to the attack all the more unfavorable.

Extortion attempts similar to this one have targeted other luxury brands, such as Moncler and Ferrari, where, in the former's case, employee and customer data was stolen and leaked onto the Dark Web. It is currently unknown whether or not sensitive or personally identifiable information (PII) has been stolen from the shipping company; however, a Lürssen spokesperson has stated that they "immediately initiated all necessary protective measures and informed the responsible authorities."

No matter how intimidating or impressive a company's capital (and presumably defenses) may be, until there are anti-data exfiltration tools and an up-to-date incident response plan in place, even they cannot avoid the possibility of a cyberattack, Darren Williams, CEO and founder of Blackfog, told Infosecurity. "Attackers do not discriminate — one could say, except for where the dollar sign is at play, with the link between ransomware and sectors involving the super-rich becoming increasingly prevalent."