Austal USA confirms data incident after Hunters International leak claim

Austal USA, the Alabama based subsidiary of Australian shipbuilder Austal, confirmed on December 6, 2023 that it had suffered what it described as a data incident. The company builds Independence class littoral combat ships for the US Navy and holds a multibillion dollar contract for US Coast Guard patrol cutters, making it a significant Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security contractor.

The confirmation followed the appearance of Austal USA on the leak site of Hunters International, a data extortion group widely believed to be a successor to the Hive ransomware operation. The group posted sample files as proof of access and threatened to release more, saying it held compliance documentation, recruiting records, financial information, certifications and engineering data.

A company spokesperson said Austal USA had moved quickly to contain the incident and that there was no impact on operations at its Mobile River shipyards. The company stated that no personal or classified information was accessed or taken by the threat actor. It said the FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service were informed promptly and remained involved in investigating the cause and the extent of the access.

Austal USA did not say whether engineering schematics or proprietary Navy technology were among the material reached. No ransom demand was made public, and the company described its assessment as ongoing.