Australian ports reopen after cyber attack on DP World

MELBOURNE, SYDNEY, BRISBANE AND FREMANTLE

Major ports that handle 40 percent of Australia’s freight trade have reopened after a cyber attack. Last Friday’s hack on DP World, one of the world’s largest port operators, led to the suspension of operations at the eastern ports of Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane and Fremantle in the west.

Although operations have partially resumed, the investigation into the cyberattack and measures to protect the network could disrupt services for days, DP World said in a statement. The hack has helped the port operator clear a backlog of 30,000 shipping containers that have piled up at ports across Australia.

The company expects to ship 5,000 containers from the four ports on Monday, less than a quarter of its normal daily volume nationwide, a spokesman said. With DP World also affected by local strikes in the coming days, the spokesperson said it could take until next week before normal operations resume in Australia. DP World manages almost 40 percent of the goods entering and leaving Australia.

DP World disconnected its systems from the internet when the attack was discovered on Friday. Trucks could therefore no longer unload or collect freight at the four ports. It is not yet known which organization is behind the hack. DP World is working with the Australian government and cyber authorities to investigate the attack