Canadian manufacturer takes debilitating cyber hit

A Canada-based manufacturer of diecast auto parts and tools has revealed that it has been impacted by a cyber incident so severe, that three of its production facilities are still recovering.

Exco Technologies confirmed in a statement that the three recovering facilities are within its large mould group, but also gave assurances that the rest of the company’s operations remain unaffected.

According to Exco, after it learned of the cyber incident last week, it immediately took steps to secure its systems and mitigate the incident’s impact on Exco data and operations. It also revealed that it has retained independent experts to assist it in dealing with the matter.

The manufacturer also explained that as part of the investigation into the cyber incident, it has temporarily disabled certain computer systems. Exco gave a two-week timeline for when the operations would be restored.

“Exco is currently assessing the financial impact of the situation,” the company said in its statement. “Shipments to customers have not and are not expected to be materially interrupted.

The year 2023 had just begun, and cybercriminals have wasted little time in targeting Canadian organizations in high-profile cyber incidents. Last week, Nunavut’s power utility company Qulliq Energy Corporation reported that it was the target of a cyberattack that crippled its computer systems. Out of precaution, the company also advised customers to monitor their bank accounts and credit cards for any suspicious activity, and disabled credit card payments for the time being.

The Liquor Control Board of Ontario also reported a cyberattack incident this month, confirming that the ones responsible for the breach also deployed malicious code that stole consumer information.

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