Cyber-attackers target AKVA Group, down several key systems

AKVA Group ASA, a provider of aquaculture technology and services, revealed it had fallen prey to cyber-attackers over the weekend, according to an Oslo Stock Exchange announcement on 11 January.

The attack, which occurred on Sunday, 10 January, resulted in several key systems being down in the aftermath, AKVA said in its announcement. The firm is currently working with Norwegian authorities and partners to map out an overview of the situation, ultimately making sure the damage and reach of the attack is contained.

AKVA said the full extent of the incident remains unknown. It’s still too early, the company said, to get a complete picture of the operational and financial impact of the attack. A resolution timeline is also still pending.

The Kleppe, Norway-based company is not alone in its plight, with cyber attacks aimed at businesses surging all over the world in 2020.

According to an ITPro. report – citing data from specialist internet service provider Beaming – U.K. businesses faced a 20 percent rise in cybersecurity threats last year compared to 2019, a phenomenon attributed to the increased prevalence of remote working due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The U.S. government experienced its worst-ever cyber-attack late last year, with companies like Microsoft and others also targeted, The Guardian reported. A BBC report tallied the number of organizations majorly impacted by the attack at around 50. FireEye CEO Kevin Mandia told BBC that some 18,000 organizations had the malicious code in their networks.

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