Hydro cyber attack shuts down several metal extrusion plants

One of the largest producers of aluminum in the world, Norsk Hydro, was hit by a cyber attack in the company’s IT system on Monday evening affecting major parts of its smelting operations. The attack which escalated overnight and which is still ongoing has caused the company to resort to manual operations at its smelting facilities.

The company's website is currently down and it is posting updates to Facebook. Hydro said that IT systems in most business areas are impacted. According to a statement to BBC, Hydro said that the digital systems at its smelting plants were programmed to ensure machinery worked efficiently. However, these systems had to be turned off.

The company is unsure what type of cyber attack it is facing or who is responsible. “We are working to contain and neutralize the attack. It is too early to assess the full impact of the situation. It is too early to assess the impact on customers. We have established a dialogue with all relevant authorities”, the firm updated on their Facebook post.

"They are much more reliant today on computerised systems than they were some years ago. But they have the option of reverting back to methods that are not as computerised, so we are able to continue production”, a Hydro spokesperson told BBC.

According to Reuters, “The company shut several metal extrusion plants, which transform aluminum ingots into components for car makers, builders, and other industries, while its giant smelters in countries including Norway, Qatar and Brazil were being operated manually.”

A Norwegian National Security Authority (NSM) spokesperson said, “We are helping Norsk Hydro with the handling of the situation, and sharing this information with other sectors in Norway and with our international partners.”

Hydro is arranging a press meeting on Tuesday, 19 Mar 2019 at 14:00:00 GMT where it will inform everyone about the cyber-attack.

We will keep you updated as and when updates to this story is announced. In the meantime, you can check out Norsk Hydro’s Facebook wall for updates.