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DP World resumes Australia port operations after crippling cyberattack

DP World is restarting operations at its terminals in Australia on Monday after a cyberattack crippled landside operations leaving over 30,000 containers stranded in yards.

Marcus Hand, Editor

November 13, 2023

1 Min Read
Cyber hacker in mask
Photo: Unsplash

DP World’s operations at four of the largest ports in Australia – in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Fremantle were crippled on Friday by hackers forcing the Dubai-headquartered terminal operator to close the terminals.

According to local reports the attack hit systems that allow trucks to share data with the terminal operator meaning that while vessel operations could still be performed trucks could not enter or exit the facilities leaving over 30,000 containers stranded on the dock.

In statement DP World Australia said that operations had resumed at its ports across Australia at 9am (AEDT) after successful tests on key systems overnight.

The terminal operator said it expected around 5,000 container would move out of the four port facilities today, however, this does not mean a return to normal operations with a substantial volume of containers to be cleared and the ongoing response to the incident expected to cause further disruption.

“The ongoing investigation and response to protect networks and systems may cause some necessary, temporary disruptions to their services in the coming days. This is a part of an investigation process and resuming normal logistical operations at this scale,” DP World Australia said.

Cyberattacks have become a major concern for key infrastructure such as ports and July this year a ransomware incident at the Port of Nagoya in Japan brought its terminals to a grinding halt for two days. The attack crippled the port’s ability to load and unload containers

Related:Shipping industry expects cyber-attack deaths, collisions, and groundings

About the Author

Marcus Hand

Editor

Marcus Hand is the editor of Seatrade Maritime News and a dedicated maritime journalist with over two decades of experience covering the shipping industry in Asia.

Marcus is also an experienced industry commentator and has chaired many conferences and round tables. Before joining Seatrade at the beginning of 2010, Marcus worked for the shipping industry journal Lloyd's List for a decade and before that the Singapore Business Times covering shipping and aviation.

In November 2022, Marcus was announced as a member of the Board of Advisors to the Singapore Journal of Maritime Talent and Technology (SJMTT) to help bring together thought leadership around the key areas of talent and technology.

Marcus is the founder of the Seatrade Maritime Podcast that delivers commentary, opinions and conversations on shipping's most important topics.

Conferences & Webinars

Marcus Hand regularly moderates at international maritime events. Below you’ll find a list of selected past conferences and webinars.

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