Lürssen hit by ransomware attack over the Easter weekend

Lürssen, the Bremen based shipbuilder known for constructing some of the world's largest superyachts, was targeted by a ransomware attack over the Easter weekend in April 2023. The company confirmed the incident to German media and said it was working with internal and external specialists to manage it.

The attack disrupted operations across much of the group. Infosecurity Magazine reported that most of the company was brought to a standstill, with only the Lürssen-Kröger yard in Schleswig-Holstein largely unaffected. The Record reported that large parts of the Bremen shipyard operation were halted.

Lürssen builds naval vessels alongside its yacht business, including ships for the German navy and patrol boats supplied to Australia. The firm was founded in 1875, employs roughly 1,600 people and reports annual revenue of about 2 billion euros.

In a statement the company said it had immediately put the necessary protective measures in place and informed the responsible authorities, acting in coordination with internal and external experts. German police opened a criminal investigation into the incident.

No ransomware group publicly claimed the attack in the days that followed, and Lürssen did not say whether customer, design or naval data had been taken. The company declined to give reporters further detail, and as of the reporting date the extent of any data theft and the existence of a ransom demand remained unclear.