German pharmaceutical wholesaler AEP hit by ransomware attack

AEP GmbH, a pharmaceutical wholesaler based in Alzenau in Lower Franconia, said its security systems detected a targeted attack on 28 October 2024 that resulted in the partial encryption of its IT environment.

The company disconnected all external connections, shut down the affected systems and brought in outside specialists for incident response and IT forensics. Its telephone lines went down and email was reachable only to a very limited extent, so it committed to issuing daily updates to customers. A spokesperson said there was no indication that any data had been lost.

AEP supplies more than 6,000 pharmacies across Germany and employs around 200 people, and the shutdown interrupted ordering and deliveries. The Bavarian Pharmacists Association said pharmacies that normally order from AEP could obtain stock from alternative wholesalers, limiting the effect on patients, although German pharmacies were already dealing with supply shortages affecting hundreds of active ingredients.

The Bavarian State Criminal Police Office took on the investigation. As of the first days of November 2024 no group had publicly claimed responsibility, AEP had not said whether a ransom was demanded, and the company was still working with external experts to restore its systems.