Toll first became aware of the attack on January 31.
“We received a targeted ransomware attack which led us to decide to immediately isolate and disable certain systems in order to contain the spread of the attack,” Toll said in a statement posted on its website.
“We have acted quickly to mitigate the potential impact and are undertaking a detailed investigation with a view to restoring all affected systems as soon as possible. In the meantime, we have introduced manual systems where necessary to ensure we can continue to meet our customers’ needs.
Ransomware is a form of malware that takes computer systems hostage and demands payment, usually in the form of cryptocurrencies. Several companies have already been targeted by ransomware attacks, including global logistics company Maersk, which was crippled by an attack originating from Ukraine and believed to be the work of the Russian military. This attack cost Maersk nearly $300 million.
Toll is the main logistics partner of the Royal Australian Navy.
While the company continues to process and ship package customer orders (albeit at a reduced speed), most other operations now run on manual systems. Toll does not believe that any customer’s personal data has been compromised.
“Toll is progressing its recovery activities to restore our systems and customer-facing applications,” the company said in a statement.
“Our immediate goal is to bring our systems back online in a controlled and secure manner. Business continuity plans have been activated to maintain customer service and operations.
The attack also comes just weeks after user data was stolen from Travelex, the world’s largest money changer, and demanded a $6 million ransom.
