Malware Attack Strikes Defense Contractors in North America and Europe

Three plants belonging to Rheinmetall AG, one of the world's top suppliers of military equipment, have suffered malware attacks.

According to a statement released by the company, Rheinmetall Automotive plants in Brazil, Mexico and the USA were affected by the malware attacks, which occurred on the evening of September 24 and caused "significant disruption to normal production processes", although other IT systems have not been affected.

The company, which employs 23,000 people globally and generated $6.9 billion in sales last year, said it is doing everything possible to address the disruption at the affected plants asap and maintain the flow of parts to customers. It's unsure how long the disruption will last but the most likely scenario is between two and four weeks at a cost of between €3 million and €4 million (US$3.3M - $4.4M) per week starting with week two.

The company has not said what type of malware was involved, or released any other details about the incident.