Vard Group

In July 2020, the Norwegian shipping company Vard Group, headquartered in Langsten, fell victim to a ransomware attack orchestrated by the Russian hacker group REvil (Sodinokibi/Sodin). The attackers infected the company’s servers and demanded a $5.5 million ransom. The incident triggered severe operational disruptions, prompting Vard Group to warn employees via text messages about potential temporary job losses due to a possible shutdown of its shipbuilding unit. The attack not only threatened the company’s financial stability but also risked personnel data exposure and operational paralysis, raising concerns over long-term business continuity. The fear of data leaks particularly employee-related information and the halt in production underscored the attack’s critical severity, aligning with high-stakes cyber threats capable of crippling industrial operations.

Source: https://www.cybersecurity-insiders.com/ransomware-attack-on-norwegian-ship-yard-results-in-job-loss-to-many/

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/vard

"id": "var428092125",
"linkid": "vard",
"type": "Ransomware",
"date": "6/2020",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization’s existence"

{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Maritime/Shipbuilding',
                        'location': 'Langsten, Norway',
                        'name': 'Vard Group',
                        'type': 'Shipping Company'}],
 'date_detected': 'July 2020',
 'description': 'Shipping Company Vard Group from Langsten, Norway was hit by '
                'a ransomware attack in July 2020 by Russian hacker group '
                'REvil (Sodinokibi/Sodin). The group demanded a $5.5 million '
                "ransom after infecting the company's servers. The company "
                'sent out text messages to many of its employees warning that '
                'the disruption might lead to the shutdown of the shipbuilding '
                'unit, resulting in temporary job loss for many if necessary.',
 'impact': {'operational_impact': 'Potential shutdown of shipbuilding unit, '
                                  'temporary job loss for employees',
            'systems_affected': ["company's servers"]},
 'motivation': 'Financial Gain',
 'ransomware': {'ransom_demanded': '$5.5 million',
                'ransomware_strain': 'Sodinokibi/Sodin'},
 'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Text messages sent to employees '
                                        'warning of potential job loss due to '
                                        'disruption'},
 'threat_actor': 'REvil (Sodinokibi/Sodin)',
 'title': 'Ransomware Attack on Vard Group by REvil (Sodinokibi/Sodin)',
 'type': 'Ransomware Attack'}