In June 2021, **Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM)**, a South Korea-based global shipping and logistics company, fell victim to a **phishing attack** that introduced a virus into its email systems. The breach disrupted email services across most regions, excluding America and Europe, rendering the systems unusable. The incident stemmed from unauthorized access, likely due to an employee falling prey to a deceptive email, allowing the virus to infiltrate critical infrastructure.The attack did not explicitly mention data theft, financial fraud, or ransom demands, but the **operational outage** of email servers—vital for business communications—posed significant internal disruptions. HMM, a key player in maritime logistics, relies heavily on seamless communication for cargo operations, customer coordination, and supply chain management. The inability to use email systems could have cascading effects, including delayed shipments, miscommunication with partners, and potential reputational damage. While no direct financial losses or data leaks were reported, the **disruption of core business functions** highlights the severity of the breach in a sector where timing and coordination are critical.The attack underscores the vulnerability of large enterprises to **social engineering tactics**, particularly in industries where cybersecurity awareness may lag behind technological adoption. HMM’s response likely involved isolating affected systems, restoring services, and reinforcing employee training to mitigate future risks.
Source: https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/hmm-reveals-it-had-suffered-a-cyberattack-on-its-email-servers/
TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/hmmofficial
"id": "hmm636092125",
"linkid": "hmmofficial",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "6/2021",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization’s existence"{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Shipping/Logistics',
'location': 'South Korea',
'name': 'HMM (Hyundai Merchant Marine)',
'type': 'Corporation'}],
'attack_vector': 'Phishing',
'date_detected': '2021-06',
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2021-06',
'description': 'In June 2021, South-Korea based HMM (Hyundai Merchant Marine) '
'was hit with a virus due to a phishing attack, which '
'infiltrated the email systems. The email servers in all areas '
'except for America and Europe were impacted, rendering them '
'unusable.',
'impact': {'downtime': 'Ongoing (as of disclosure, exact duration '
'unspecified)',
'operational_impact': 'Email systems unusable in affected regions',
'systems_affected': ['Email servers (excluding America and '
'Europe)']},
'initial_access_broker': {'entry_point': 'Phishing (email)'},
'title': 'HMM (Hyundai Merchant Marine) Phishing Attack and Email System '
'Disruption',
'type': 'Cyber Attack (Phishing, Malware)'}