DP World: Australian ports remain closed after cyber attack

Australia’s largest port operator will close its site for several days while it recovers from a cyberattack, government officials said.

Container terminals in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth have ceased operations from Friday.

DP World Australia manages approximately 40% of goods entering and leaving Australia.

The BBC understands that the measures have not affected supply to Australia’s major supermarkets.

DP World Australia, a division of Dubai state-run DP World, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

Darren Goldie, the government’s cybersecurity co-ordinator, said the operator was “making good progress” in getting the site back online.

“The company’s advice… was that this situation would take days, not weeks,” Mr Goldie told ABC radio.

He added that the government had not yet identified the culprit behind the cyber attack, which caused the company to disconnect its ports from the internet.

DP World said it had suspended internet connectivity at the port on Friday to prevent “ongoing unauthorized access” to its network.

Once offline, trucks will no longer be able to transport containers to or from the affected site. Blake Tierney, senior director of DP World, said in a statement on Sunday.

on monday, australian ports“The current disruption is limited to DP World’s terminals,” a group representing industry authorities and companies said.

“Australia’s ports and other terminals remain operational. DP World is working closely with the government to restore normal operations,” it added.

DP World has also been affected by industrial action, causing delays in deliveries to customers.

Since it began in October, workers have been on a 24-hour strike, refusing to unload trucks.

The Australian Maritime Union, which is negotiating pay increases for workers, announced last week that it would extend industrial action until November 20.

The cyber attack has raised concerns that supplies of everything from medical equipment to Christmas toys could be disrupted.

However, a spokeswoman for supermarket chain Woolworths said it was monitoring the situation closely and “does not anticipate any immediate impact at this time.”

The BBC understands a range of Woolworths Christmas products have already arrived in Australia.

The disruption is not expected to affect rival chain Kohl’s, which is also monitoring developments in DP World.

Cyber ​​attacks have been increasing in Australia since the end of 2022.

Earlier this year, the Albanon government announced plans to overhaul cybersecurity laws and create an agency to coordinate responses to intrusions.

The government is expected to announce details of the proposed rules next week, which are likely to increase reporting requirements for companies.