Varta battery manufacturing plants halted by massive cyberattack

Varta AG, the German automotive battery manufacturer says that a cyberattack on Monday knocked five of its production plants offline.

The company released an official statement disclosing details about the attack on Tuesday.

“Last night, February 12th 2024, the VARTA Group was the target of a cyber attack on parts of its IT systems. This affects the five production plants and the administration,” the company announced.

Furthermore, the battery maker stated that its IT systems and production facilities have temporarily been “disconnected from the internet” and “proactively shut down for security reasons.”

“In accordance with the emergency plan for such situations, the necessary precautionary measures were implemented immediately,“ the company said.

Varta said the extent of the damage is still being reviewed, but that “the utmost care is being taken to ensure data integrity.”

A top global supplier for the automotive industry, industrial, and consumer markets, Varta brand batteries are sold at locations across all EU nations.

A task force of cybersecurity experts and data forensics specialists was immediately put on place to help “restore normal operations as quickly as possible and deal with the incident,” Varta said.

Founded in 1887, the company is headquarters in Ellwangen, Germany.