Eberspaecher has been the target of an “organized cyberattack” since late October. Its website remains down, with only a message from the company noting the attack and the immediate steps it took in its wake.
The cyberattack initially caused many of the supplier’s factories to close down. Workers at its headquarters in Esslingen, Germany, were put on an emergency short-time work schedule, Automotive News Europe reported last month.
Some of Eberspaecher’s major automaker customers, including BMW, Stellantis and Volkswagen, said last month that they were monitoring the situation. So far, there have been no reports of the Eberspaecher cyberattack leading to production issues at assembly plants. The company builds air-conditioning and heating systems, as well as exhaust technology.
According to Automotive News Europe, media reports indicated the Stuttgart public prosecutor’s office was investigating the attack on suspicion of computer sabotage and attempted extortion. The German business magazine WirtschaftsWoche reported last month that the attack largely paralyzed the company’s computer systems globally.
Eberspaecher ranks No. 37 on Automotive News‘ list of the top 100 global suppliers, with worldwide parts sales to automakers of $6.02 billion in 2020.
