ABB, the Zurich-headquartered electrification and industrial automation group, confirmed in May 2023 that it had detected an IT security incident that directly affected certain locations. Reporting by BleepingComputer and The Record attributed the attack to the Black Basta ransomware operation and placed it on May 7.
Multiple ABB employees told BleepingComputer that the attack hit the company's Windows Active Directory and affected hundreds of devices across the business. In response, ABB severed VPN connections with its customers to stop the ransomware spreading into partner networks.
Staff described disruption to operations, delayed projects and effects on factory activity. ABB's public statement acknowledged that its containment measures had caused some disruption, which it said it was addressing, and added that the vast majority of its systems and factories were back up and running and that it continued to serve customers securely.
ABB employs more than 100,000 people and reported revenue of about $29.4 billion in 2022. It builds industrial control and SCADA systems for manufacturers and energy suppliers, and counts US federal agencies among its customers, which drew additional attention to the incident. The company declined to give further detail, and no ransom demand was disclosed.