ENGlobal Corporation, a major contractor specialising in automation and control systems, has disclosed a ransomware attack that has disrupted its operations. The Oklahoma-based company filed a notice with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Monday evening, detailing the incident discovered on November 25.
According to ENGlobal’s filing, unauthorised actors infiltrated IT systems and encrypted certain data files. The company has restricted employee access to its network, limiting operations to essential functions.
Internal investigations are underway, and external cybersecurity experts have been engaged to mitigate the attack.
Despite these measures, the company admitted that it is uncertain when full system access will be restored. It has yet to assess whether the attack will have a material impact on its financial performance.
“On November 25, 2024, ENGlobal Corporation became aware of a cybersecurity incident. The preliminary investigation has revealed that a threat actor illegally accessed the Company’s information technology system and encrypted some of its data files,” the company declared in the filing.
No ransomware group had claimed responsibility for the attack. ENGlobal joins a growing list of energy sector contractors targeted by ransomware gangs.
The attack echoes a similar breach last year involving Johnson Controls, a major provider of building automation systems, reports The Record. That incident raised alarms due to the potential exposure of plans related to critical government facilities.
The ENGlobal attack is the latest in a series of ransomware incidents targeting the energy sector. Three weeks ago, another energy contractor reported a ransomware attack to the SEC. Over the weekend, a state-owned energy provider in Costa Rica suffered a similar breach.
Last month, Schneider Electric, a French company specialising in energy and automation, confirmed a data breach involving the theft of approximately 40 GB of information.
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