Cyberattack hits packaging giant Ardagh

18 May 2021

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The company, which has dozens of facilities globally, said there have been some disruptions to its operations.

Packaging giant Ardagh was struck by a cyberattack that has disrupted some of its operations.

The company, led by Irishman Paul Coulson and headquartered in Luxembourg, manufactures glass and metal packaging. It has dozens of offices and facilities globally, including a base in Dublin.

It said its IT systems were disrupted by a cyberattack but did not specify what type of attack it was.

“We are progressively bringing key systems back online securely, in a phased manner,” it said in a statement, adding that it will likely take until the end of the month before everything is back online fully.

Most of its packaging operations have continued but other aspects of its supply chain have been affected with some tasks being reverted to manual labour as a result of the slowdown.

“This is likely to give rise to some deferral or loss of revenue, as well as to incremental costs,” the company, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, said.

The company reported revenues of $1.7bn in the last quarter with demand for glass and metal packaging increasing.

In response to the incident, Ardagh said it is adding new protective tools to its cyber defences.

“We have introduced new protection tools across our network to ensure an immediately enhanced level of security. Our technology roadmap is being reviewed and planned IT investments are being accelerated to further improve the effectiveness of our information security capabilities.”

The attack on Ardagh comes days after the severe ransomware attack on the HSE and the Department of Health that has left Ireland’s health service reeling. Concerns have been flagged that private personal information of people gathered in the attack could be abused.

Today (18 May) representatives from the National Cyber Security Centre will meet with TDs and Senators to update the Government on the status of recovery from the attack.

Jonathan Keane is a freelance business and technology journalist based in Dublin

editorial@siliconrepublic.com